The Borlaug Institute provides the global outreach of Texas A&M Agriculture. Their faculty, scientists, and students are involved in over 100 countries around the world to better international agriculture. Funded by the USDA, the Borlaug has implemented a three-year agricultural extension program to benefit the indigenous Mayan communities in Guatemala.
Agriculture in Guatemala: Technology, Education, and Commercialization (AGTEC) will increase access to new markets, technology, and knowledge for high-value agricultural products in Guatemala, including bioenergy crops and non-traditional fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
Improve Agricultural Systems and Management Techniques: The AGTEC program will introduce scientific advances and transfer technology from research centers to the field. The agricultural and sound environmental techniques gained from these programs will improve yields and increase income. Through extension outreach programs in rural communities, technical-assistance programs include:
- water conservation and management;
- crop rotation and diversification;
- soil retention to reduce erosion and demonstrate alternative crops and alternative land uses;
- harvesting and post-harvesting techniques to improve harvest efficiency;
- food processing capabilities to add value to products; and
- bioenergy technology to produce biofuel crops.
Enhance Agricultural Training: Partnering with local institutions, AGTEC has created an innovative series of technical and interactive training programs to help improve farmers’ knowledge of food production, safety, processing, and marketing. Many of these programs will be delivered by Texas A&M AgriLife experts in the field and translated into Mayan languages. These initiatives will cover such important topics as:
- food safety and quality for fruits, vegetables, and meat products; and
- sanitary and phytosanitary standards for agricultural products.
To learn more about this program, please visit their website.
Recent Comments