Fintrac Opens New Field Office in El Salvador

Fintrac IDEA team (from left to right): Senior Agronomist Victor Santos, Senior Agronomist Godofredo Pacheco, Director Dennis Lesnick, Project Administrator Amira Calderon, Senior Agronomist Boris Corpeno

Washington DC (May 20, 2002)

The Fintrac IDEA office is located in San Salvador and is staffed with seven agronomists (who also possess postharvest, processing, and marketing experience) and one project administrator. Portable offices allow the agronomists to spend at least 95 percent of their time in the field with small and medium-sized farmers, while at the same time giving them access to Fintrac's technical and market information. Each agronomist has been assigned a zone of operations (one or more departments) in which they will be responsible for assisting Fintrac's lead partners to introduce new crops/varieties, production technologies, and postharvest methods.

Fintrac IDEA is a catalytic, market-led program, focused on substantially increasing non-traditional horticultural production in short turn-around time because lack of supply is currently the largest obstacle to El Salvador's agribusiness success. IDEA will also emphasize the compilation and distribution of commercial market information; the establishment of stronger and more mutually beneficial relationships with the local supermarket trade, as well as institutional partners in the larger sector; the expansion and increased competitiveness of the agro-processing sector; and overall, a more competitive performance from El Salvador in the fresh and processed food trade, both domestically and for export.

The Fintrac IDEA program is funded through September 2004.