Training Reaches Thousands in Honduras

After just six months since the start of the USAID-funded Rural Economic Diversification Program (USAID-RED), Fintrac has made great strides toward the project's goal of increasing incomes and employment opportunities in the rural communities of Honduras.

Fintrac has initiated a massive campaign to train rural farmers and other agribusinesses in new techniques and technologies that will lead to increased sales, incomes, employment, and investment in higher-value and value-added products. Fintrac's proven approach to focus on rural agribusinesses is based on its position as the rural economy's "engine of growth." Increased incomes for farmers and other agribusinesses boost incomes and employment all along the farm-to-market chain, and in other sectors of the local economy.

During the last six months, 6,326 Hondurans (including 1,160 women) have participated in Fintrac training programs in Honduras, covering production, food safety, postharvest, marketing, and processing issues. Following Fintrac's training philosophy of "learning by doing," more than 75 percent of training has been either in-field or in-plant. Given the program's focus on small farmers, more than 60 percent of participants have been trained in a wide array of good agricultural practices.

Fintrac clients are already seeing results. Nelson Flores' tomato farm in Siguatepeque produced at a rate of 104,000 kilograms per hectare, almost three times the national average. The secret to his success was using Fintrac's good agricultural practices, which include the use of live barriers, soil preparation, pH regulation, bed preparation, drip irrigation, insect monitoring, pesticide management, pruning and weed control.

"USAID-RED has helped me a lot. I will keep on growing tomato after this trial is done. It's a good crop when well managed," Flores said. The success of his farm has spread to neighboring growers who now incorporate Fintrac's   production recommendations.

The training not only benefits farmers, but students as well. Fintrac is providing technical and training support to ten agricultural high schools scattered throughout Honduras. One of Fintrac's educational partners is the Luis Rigoberto Santos Technical Institute, which offers a high school diploma in agroindustry for students in Ocotepeque.