A breakthrough project has recently come to an end in Honduras, that has seen farmer incomes in the second poorest regions of Latin America double. A public private partnership between the USAID ACCESO project, and CropLife Latin America has trained 30,000 farmers on good agricultural practices and proper use of pest control products that have have a significant impact on yields.
“Cecilia used to grow basic foods and because her yields were low she lived below the poverty line, unable to provide for her four children,” Jose wrote. “But in 2011, her life began to change. ACCESO delivered training so farmers like Cecilia could get a great deal more from their land. She started growing high value crops, like strawberries, and she tripled her maize yield.”
“Pests and diseases had always been a real issue for Cecilia and other farmers in the area, and the ability to protect them made a massive difference. A centre to collect pesticide containers and dispose of them safely was also established, to protect the environment from excess waste.”
“The project has also encouraged farmers to focus on crops that will boost their incomes, such as strawberries. Common crops like maize and beans can only generate around US$750 per hectare per year but high-value horticulture production with basic technologies and skilled crop protection techniques can generate around US$4,000 per hectare. Access to crop protection products and the knowledge to use them on these high value crops has helped many farmers significantly increase their income.”
To read the full article, visit Jose Perdomo’s blog on the Huffington Post. For more stories of success from Honduran farmers, click the image below to visit the CropLife microsite.
