Fintrac Takes Technology Directly to Small Farmers

La Lima, Honduras (August 8, 2002) - Fintrac's technical assistance programs are introducing a wide variety of modern yet cost effective technologies to small farmers through direct demonstrations on their own farms. The Fintrac "portable office and lab" was originally developed in Honduras, whereby field agronomists were outfitted with all of the equipment to provide immediate support to small farmer clients while making farm visits. In May, portable offices/labs were also established on a new Fintrac agricultural development program in El Salvador. "The concept behind the portable office and lab," explains Raca Lardizabal, Fintrac Chief Agronomist, "is that agronomists should be in the field providing technical support to clients and not in the office sitting behind a desk. By providing all the required equipment in their trucks, our agronomists spend 98 percent of their time in the field. And, at the same time, they are exposing farmers to new technologies."

The Fintrac CDA program in Honduras was the first Fintrac program to move all agronomists to portable offices/labs. Fintrac CDA field technicians utilize basic equipment to assist growers in improving production systems and problem solving. These include sap testers for determining plant nitrogen and potassium levels, pH meters and ultraviolet lamps for improving pesticide applications, soil samplers, magnifying glasses to aid pest and disease identification and chlorine meters for revision of irrigation and wash tank operations. In addition, each technician can immediately provide growers, exporters and processors with Fintrac CDA technical publications, planting schedules or fertilizer programs. They are equipped with a portable lap top computer and printer together with updated compact disks of all Fintrac CDA technical materials.

Fintrac CDA demonstrates these and other new technologies to growers, who are quick to adopt them once shown the results from using them. Growers have been introduced to and are using tensiometers for measuring soil moisture content to assist with irrigation management. Biological controls have been introduced on a commercial scale, including Telenomus liberations. Global Positioning Systems are being used to map farms for area, topography and irrigation systems. Fintrac CDA-developed computerized tools are used for fertilization programs and cost of production estimations and calculations. The Project has also assisted in upgrading processing facilities in El Zamorano and in the installation of two new fully equipped coffee cupping laboratories for small growers.

Fintrac CDA "low technologies" are usually low cost, save money and can be used with immediate benefits. Most have been designed by Fintrac technicians. More than 50 clients have made fertilization tanks for application of liquid fertilizers, cebo and starter solutions (cost $5). Low cost drip irrigation filters have been built and installed by 100 growers throughout the country - they cost $300 as opposed to $1,000 for commercial types. More than 500 hectares of low cost drip irrigation have been installed by Fintrac CDA producers using re-cycled materials.

"Technology is the way to increased yields and incomes for small farmers," says Andy Medlicott, Fintrac CDA Director, "and small farmers know this and are more than willing to introduce new technologies. But we need to bring it to them and our portable offices and labs allows us to do that."