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Ambassador Charles L. Glazer’s Remarks at Inauguration of USDA/CLUSA
Non-Traditional Agricultural Project
Municipal Mayor of Caluco, Mrs. Blanca Lidia Orellana
Presidential Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Carmen Elena Díaz Baxían de Sol
Deputy Director for External Cooperation/Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Celina López
President of CLUSA, Mr. León Bonilla
Representative of Beneficiaries, Mr. José Luis Hidalgo
Members of the Government of El Salvador
Representatives of Non-governmental organizations
Ladies and Gentleman
Good morning.
Today we live in a globalized world. To a farmer, this means the opportunity to sell to a variety of customers around the world.
With these new trade opportunities, farmers must be able to meet consumer demands, meet the challenges of an international marketplace, and do so with agricultural practices that ensure production is environmentally friendly and sustainable.
It is clear that modernizing the agricultural sector is a priority of the Government of El Salvador.
With products available from so many countries, it is important that quality Salvadoran products compete successfully in the world market.
For many years, the United States Government through its Department of Agriculture has provided valuable assistance to El Salvador, which is being used to support agricultural development.
Agricultural development projects generate income through the sale of high value non-traditional agricultural products.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture donated wheat to the Government of El Salvador through one of these programs, funded through an assistance agreement.
The Salvadoran Government then sold this wheat to the private sector in the year 2002, generating funds to carry out a diversity of development projects, especially in the rural sector.
Using the funds generated from the sale of the US-donated wheat, the Foreign Affairs External Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
provided $350,000 to the non-governmental organization Cooperative League USA (CLUSA).
This organization then implemented the project “Production and Marketing of Fruits and Vegetables in the municipality Caluco.”
With this project, CLUSA provided technical assistance for the production of non-traditional agricultural products.
Working in an area of approximately 87 hectares in the Department of Sonsonate,
CLUSA collaborated with local farmers to grow and sell crops such as green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, black-eyed peas, baby corn, local zucchini, jalapenos, and loroco.
The project funded the construction of greenhouses and micro tunnels to protect the crops against pests and to guarantee the quality of plant materials.
Additionally, the project included the installation of a drip irrigation system to intensify the usage of the land during the dry season.
The use of this technology provides another opportunity for more than 150 small farmers to generate income.
CLUSA, through the assistance of the Government of El Salvador and the funding of the United States, is providing an opportunity for farmers to take advantage of new agricultural opportunities
while supporting activities that provide increased and sustainable incomes for rural communities.
I congratulate all the institutions involved in this important project and wish them great success.
I especially congratulate the more than 150 farmers in the municipality of Caluco here in Sonsonate that are working hard to modernize their agricultural techniques through this project.
Thank you very much.
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