Sustainable crop development

Campaign objectives

Support to strawberry producers members of agricultural cooperatives that live in the high dry zone of Madriz, Nicaragua, by reestablishing vegetative material in new areas with productive potential.

Description

The project is located in Las Sabanas, a municipality in the Department of Madriz, Nicaragua, an ecoregion with a dry tropical climate, where cyclical droughts related to the “El Niño” phenomenon occur, causing losses of up to 90% in basic grain crops (beans, corn). In the case of strawberry producers, the situation is further aggravated, due to the loss of their main crop - strawberry -, the shortage of land to grow, the low potential to produce basic grains and the shortage of resources that does not allow them to reactivate the strawberry crop. A crop that years ago had facilitated the improvement of the living conditions of families and generated employment, tourism and economic income in the region, but due to environmental problems, the arrival of pests and diseases, this crop has deteriorated little by little.

This project contemplates reintroducing strawberry cultivation by training producers to face climatic adversities and equip them with the appropriate tools and technologies for the improvement and rational and sustainable use of natural ecosystems. For this reason, the adoption of good agro-environmental practices, soil restoration will be promoted; use of physical control methods in the management of pests and diseases, accompanied by agro-biological inputs; thus reducing soil and water pollution and reducing biodiversity; in accordance with Law 217, Law of the Environment.

Activities

Training of producers in strawberry cultivation and seed management (stolon banks) through training workshops.

Renewal of enabled vegetative material.

Distribution of input kits, tools and materials for the establishment of the stolon bank.

Who will benefit?

Thanks to this project, 10 strawberry producers will directly benefit and indirectly the 24 associated producers of the two cooperatives currently in force will be covered.