Honduras Launches Vegetable Production Project in the Dry Corridor
Honduras has inaugurated a new vegetable production project at the “Playitas” experimental station in the Comayagua Valley, aimed at enhancing nutritional food security. This project features protected structures designed to facilitate vegetable farming.
The initiative is part of the Triangular Cooperation Project for Strengthening Horticultural Technology Capacities in the Central American Dry Corridor (HORTINNOVA). It is funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and executed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG) through the Directorate of Agricultural Science and Technology (Dicta).
HORTINNOVA aims to mitigate climate change effects and improve food security for residents in the Dry Corridor of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
In Honduras, the first phase of the project (2023-2024) will conclude in December, with an investment of $320,000 (7.6 million lempiras). This phase includes infrastructure for protected crops, training, supplies, an organic fertilizer biofactory, and irrigation systems.
SAG Minister Laura Elena Suazo highlighted the project’s goal to extend these technologies to communities where horticultural producers face challenges like pests, diseases, and climate variations.
The project’s inauguration included the transplantation of cucumber, onion, cabbage, tomato, jalapeño, and sweet pepper seedlings into protected structures like macro and micro-tunnel mesh houses.
“This is a fundamental step in agricultural transformation, showcasing our commitment to innovate, transfer, and adopt resilient technologies to reach our region’s potential,” said Minister Suazo.
Protected agriculture systems enable vegetable cultivation in controlled environments by regulating temperature, humidity, and light, contributing to healthier produce.
Korean Ambassador to Honduras, Moonup Soung, noted that “the project emerged from the growth of horticultural crops in the region, addressing climate change challenges. These crops have great development potential to boost the economies of coastal areas, especially those within the Central American Dry Corridor.”
The Central American Dry Corridor is an arid strip along the Pacific coast, stretching from southern Mexico to western Costa Rica and parts of Panama. Subsistence family farming predominates in this area.
The project benefits Comayagua in Honduras, Osicala in El Salvador, and Zacapa in Guatemala. Honduras is the second country to officially inaugurate the project, following Guatemala.
Soledad Quartucci | CEO/Founder, Latina Republic
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