OVERVIEWPROGRESAIICaribeisafive-year,$9.5million-valuechainstrengtheningprojectforthecacaoandlivestocksectorsintheCaribbeancoastregionofNicaragua.FinancedbytheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture(USDA),thisFoodforProgressprogramisimplementedinconsortiumwithTechnoServeandLutheranWorldReliefandworkswithsmall-scalecacaoproducersandlivestockranchersin14vulnerablemunicipalities.PROGRESAIIisuniqueinitsdualfocusoncacaoagroforestrysystemsandsustainablelivestockdevelopment,twoofthemostimportanteconomicsectorsintheregion.Thiscombinationcreatescomplementaryshort-termincomegeneratingopportunities,medium-andlong-termsustainablelivelihooddevelopment,andnaturalresourcepreservationandregeneration.BuildingfromtheachievementsofthefirstphaseofPROGRESA,whichendedin2016,thisprojectwillhavealastingimpactbydevelopingprofitablemarketlinkages,strengtheningproducercooperatives,andfacilitatinginvestmentinvalue-addinginfrastructureforbothvaluechains.
THEAPPROACHCRShasappliedavalue-chainapproachtoitsworkinthefirstphaseofPROGRESAspecificallyandtoitsworkinagricultureformorethanadecade,promotingengagementbetweenandamongallkeyactorsinthesupplychaintodriveefficienciesandimproveoutcomesforproducersandbuyersalike.Investmentsaremadeateverystageofthesupplychain:productionatthe
farmlevel,quality,logisticsandhandlingatthepost-harvestlevel,strongerfarmerenterprisesandexpandedlinkstothemarketplace.CRShelpsproducersorganize,accessfinancialservices,improvefarminfrastructureandconnecttobuyers.Ascommunitieslearnnewskills,weworkwithleadingprivate-sectorcompaniescommittedtosustainablysourcingtheirproducts.
QUICKFACTS
ProjectType Agroenterprise
Funder/funding USDA,$9.5million
Projectlocation
14municipalitiesintheNorthCaribbeanAutonomousRegion(RAACAN),theSouthCaribbeanAutonomousRegion(RAACS),andthedepartmentofRíoSanJuan,Nicaragua
#ofpeopleserved 4247cacaoproducersandlivestockranchers
Timeframe 2014-2019
Partners TecnhoServe;LutheranWorldRelief
PROGRESA II CARIBE RURALENTERPRISE,HEALTHANDENVIRONMENTINNICARAGUA’SATLANTICREGION
228W.LexingtonStreet,Baltimore,MD21201Formoreinformation,[email protected].©2014CatholicReliefServices.AllRightsReserved.October14,2014
ProductionPROGRESAIICaribehelpsfarmersboosttheiragriculturalproductivityofcacaoanddairy/beefproductsbyprovidingaccesstoimprovedinputssuchasqualityseedlings,appropriatefertilizers,livestockfeedandimprovedpastureseeds,whileatthesametime,conductingtrainingingoodagriculturalpracticesandenvironmentallyfriendlytechniquesandtechnologiesthathelpthemmeettherequirementsofthemarketplace.
Theprojecttrainsproducercooperativesandtheirmembersinimprovedpost-harvesthandlingtechniquesforcacaoanddairyproducts.UtilizingthetestedLutheranWorldReliefCacaoToolkitandbuildinguponCRS’previousexperienceworkingwithcacaoproducersinMatagalpaandSiunainphaseoneoftheproject,cacaoproducerslearnappropriateharvest,sorting,podsplittingandtransporttechniquestoincreasethequalityoftheirproduct.CRSanditspartnersalsotrainproducercooperativestoimprovefermentingtechniques,utilizetools,suchasmoisturemeterstoensurequality,andtodryfermentedbeansinsufficientquantitiestomeetbuyerdemand.
Similarly,dairyproducersandcooperativesaretrainedinhygienicmilkingtechniques,improvedstoragetechnologies,transportandspoilagetimes,andcheeseproductionandchilling.Cooperativesaretrainedtotestforcontamination,watercontentandeventuallymilksolidscompositiontoensurehighqualitymilkisdeliveredtobuyers.Theprojectalsopromotesimprovedpost-harvesthandlingtechniquestomilkbuyers,andfacilitatesnegotiationsforqualitypricepremiumsforcooperativesutilizingbestpractices.
Producersarealsobeingtrainedtobettermanagetheirfarmsasabusiness.Theylearnhowtokeepbetterrecords,trackingthetruecostofproductionandtransportation,salespricesandvolumesandultimatelythenetincomeoftheiragriculturalactivities.TheyarethenencouragedtoadoptFarmPlanstoformalizeproductionstrategies,projecttheirincomeandcosts,andultimatelymeasuretheirperformanceagainstpre-establishedfarm-leveltargets.
MarketCRSfacilitatespartnershipswiththeprivateandthepublicsectorsinordertoincreasemarketaccessandleverageinvestmentinthecacaoandlivestockvaluechains,linkingproducercooperativestobusinessesandbuyersthatcanprovideproductiveinputsinexchangeforpurchasecontracts,co-investinpost-harvesthandlingandprocessingfacilities,andprovidetechnicalassistancetoincreaseproducerknowledgeofqualitystandards.
Resultstodate• ninetrainingeventsoncacaopost-harvestmanagement
wereheld;• 97cacaodemonstrationplotshavebeenestablished;• livestockrecordbookswereimplementedon211farmsfor
bovinetraceabilityand225farmsobtainedgovernmentcertificationingoodlivestockpracticesandweredeclaredtobefreeofbrucellosisandtuberculosis;
• establishmentof23biomassproductioncenterson23farmsofproducerswithacommercialapproach;
• 3,246hectaresestablishedwithimprovedpastures;• productionof6,455metrictonsofconservedgrass;• feedingof7,172headofcattlewasassured,witharation
basedon10kilogramsofsilageperanimalperdayforaperiodof90days;
• 657hectaresundersoilconservationpractices,43conservationagricultureplotsestablished,withanareaof21.5hectares;
• 61promoters-facilitatorsandtechnicalteamstrainedonfinancialandfarmmanagement;and
• supportedthepreparationofabusinessplanforUCM,COMULBANandCOMUNSOL.
