12/02/2020 More than one hundred producers of beans from Usulután, San Miguel and Morazán, associated in the company Productores y Comercializadores Agrícolas de Oriente (PROCOMAO, S.A. de C.V.) are preparing for the commercialization of their grains with the Ministry of Education, through of public purchases program for the school feeding.

To achieve this, the FAO and the National Center for Agricultural and Forestry Technology "Enrique Álvarez Córdova" (CENTA) have accompanied a process of capacity development for agricultural innovation, financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), through which the PROCOMAO partners are strengthening their functional capacities in terms of organization, financial education, accounting, leadership, managerial skills and participatory inclusion of women.

PROCOMAO is a company formed by 7 cooperative associations (El Borroñozo, Fuente y Palmera, Mercedeños, Acopaes, Luchando Juntos, Acopaz and Asagaleas) scattered in various municipalities in the eastern area, based in San Miguel, where its processing plant is located. Likewise, it integrates among its partners other individual farmers from the volcano area, Placitas and El Niño, with a total planting area of more than 130 hectares and a production that exceeds 4000 tons of grains and seeds, of the varieties San Andrés, Costeño, Enrique Álvarez Córdova and Chaparrastique.

“It has not been an easy process to get organized to participate in the public purchases of the Ministry of Education, but it is an experience that is helping us internally as a company; Furthermore, it opens up the opportunity for us to develop and opt for new markets ”, expressed Mr. Miguel Ventura, President of PROCOMAO.

It is expected that for the first quarter of this year, PROCOMAO will consolidate this business opportunity, which not only represents growth for families producing beans, but also contributes to a good diet for girls and boys on the school centers.

Beans, essential legumes in the Salvadoran basic basket

In the framework of the World Day of Pulses, FAO promotes the consumption of foods such as beans, as it is a source of vegetable protein, being an option for healthy eating and above all to diversify the diet using local foods produced by the population.

In El Salvador, beans occupy a preponderant place in the diet of the population, they are part of the basic food basket; they are cultivated throughout the national territory from 50 meters above sea level to 1,500 meters. According to data from the General Directorate of Statistics and Censuses (DIGESTYC), the consumption of beans is 28 kg per person per year (0.61qq), which makes it the main source of protein for Salvadoran families.

According to the Panorama report on Food and Nutrition Security in Latin America and the Caribbean, obesity in adults maintains its upward trend at the regional level, affecting more than a fifth of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean and constitutes an important risk factor for the development of non-communicable diseases. FAO, from the international level, has been promoting the production, conservation and consumption of legumes, due to its broad benefits for nutrition, health and food security. Legumes are considered as a super food because they have a high nutritional value as they are sources of minerals and vitamins, mainly iron and zinc.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) urge all countries and stakeholders to work together to eradicate hunger and prevent any form of malnutrition by 2030. 

“In this battle, the seeds or legumes play an important role. It is estimated that around 50 million family farmers produce, consume and sell them on a small scale and in a traditional way; and these are, without a doubt, an effective alternative to contribute to the great goal of eradicating hunger in El Salvador and in the world ”. Diego Recalde León, FAO Representative in El Salvador.

Source: http://www.fao.org/elsalvador/noticias/detail-events/es/c/1261300/