This Project comes about as the result of a similar one carried out by IAO in the Chichicastenango Municipality, which was co-financed by the Italian Cooperation and the Local Government.
The Italian Cooperation has financed an other project, whose aims have been widened and objectives sharpened. Particular attention has been paid to the trading and marketing of agricultural products, as well as the Project sustainability in the long term.
General Objectives:
- To enhance the competitiveness of agricultural producers by providing technical assistance, financial credit and marketing;
- To invest in human capital by providing access to basic financial services (credit);
- To promote economic growth by favouring an effective trading of products in the private sector.
Specific Objective:
- To improve food safety and income of the rural communities by strengthening the local organisations of producers.
Activity Developed:
- Facilitating the access to financial capital by helping the local producers to obtain bank loans as well as direct, refundable funds made available by the Project.
- Training and Technical Assistance. Free training courses and tutorials for the rural communities on export horticulture goods, dehydrated fruit production, mushroom cultivation, seed production and trade association.
- Strengthening the producer'associations of export vegetables and fruit by providing new infrastructures and equipments, aiming at increasing supply’s contracts. New greenhouses, irrigation plants and cold storehouses have been built for the production of seed potatoes and vegetables and the storage of vegetables and fruits.
- Promotion of traditional & non traditional handicrafts (weaving loom, sewing and baking).
- Loans paid: € 695,000 (65% to men, 35% to women) with 4.84% default and 12 new Organizations managing credit funds.
- Supporting the establishment of a “sustainable” second level organisation, called CODEPSA, with the participation of local actors. The CODEPSA is capable of providing loans to producers and will monitor the agro-economic development and growth of the municipality, keeping on running autonomously after the Project conclusion.
