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REFLECTIONS OF HONDURAS
www.tudog.com March 2005 Issue # 39
By Craig R. Frank- South Florida Business Man and Returned Volunteer
As I walked into the airport terminal in Tegucigalpa,
the capital city of Honduras, I felt like a character from a Woody
Allen short story – magically transported from Miami, Florida
into a Humphrey Bogart film. The place was tiny and bustling. The
combination of sights, sounds and scents had my senses buzzing. From
Tegucigalpa I flew by propeller plane to the coastal town of La
Ceiba, where I would be spending the next two weeks as a volunteer
for the Winrock Foundation working with CURLA, the local university
in exploring new marketing concepts for independent cheese producers.
I was recruited by Carmen Algeciras, who directs the program from
Florida International University’s Entrepreneurship Center. An
extremely engaging individual, she emphasized the altruistic virtues
of volunteering. She did not mention the chance that I would get out
of it much more than I contribute, although I suspect she knew.
What I found in Honduras was contrast. The physical
beauty of the country is not lessened by the poverty shacks on the
sides of the road. Rather you get the sense that the families in
those shacks are as close to natural as the mountains above them. I
was not convinced that they understand or long for the life of the
wealthy, although I am certain they would welcome a way to better
feed their families, educate their children, and preserve their
health.
Historically Honduras has been an exploited
country. The infrastructure developed was limited only to the needs
of certain dominating foreign corporations, and the industries
established were created to support these same entities. Under these
conditions the country has nonetheless had its share of entrepreneurs
and industrial visionaries. However, more than what is already there,
I was most impressed by the potential for growth. Under the proper
leadership and with a strong and visionary plan, I genuinely believe
that Honduras can be a shining light in Central America. Before I
discuss my thoughts on how Honduras can leap into the status of
highly developed nation, allow me to share some samples of what I
found to be the country’s most valuable asset – its
people.
I was picked up in Tegucigalpa and accompanied to
La Ceiba by Hector Hernandez, the Winrock country manager for
Honduras. Hector is gracious and intelligent, and he made every
effort to assist me in acclimating to Honduras by sharing with me his
insights and opinions. On my way home to Florida I passed back
through Tegucigalpa, where Hector met me and, even though it was a
Sunday, took me for a long ride outside the city so I could see the picturesque
old world villages. Hector has excellent vision and a great
understanding of the potential for Honduras.
During my time in La Ceiba I was escorted by Dr.
Guillermo Valle, a very smart man who earned his PhD in Gainesville,
Florida and returned to Honduras to contribute his skills in the
agricultural sector. Guillermo served as my translator, and was
gracious enough to extend his interpreting talents to beyond
language, helping me understand the culture and the people around me.
I taught him a bit about marketing and, through his matter-of fact
approach to the challenges he confronts daily, he taught me a great
deal about life.
Another national treasure is Rafael Carias. Rafael
serves as director of the institute that hosted me during my stay. He
was there to direct me, guide me, and assist me. His keen
understanding of the needs of the program and the importance of
strong relations with local businesses demonstrated to me his
leadership qualities. Rafael is extremely able, very sharp, and
serves as a great example to the students he interacts with daily.
Rafael introduced me to many of La Ceiba’s
business leaders like Reynaldo and his son Nino, Edison and his
daughter Monica, and others. Reynaldo is an old time industrialist
with interests in many sectors. He is a brilliant businessman with a
natural instinct for creating value. Edison is an entrepreneur,
starting with a bakery and now owning a chain of restaurants. He is
the President of the La Ceiba Chamber of Commerce and an inspiration
to many aspiring entrepreneurs.
A personal highlight of my trip was meeting
Abdullah, the owner of many of the city’s hotels, as well as
the magnificent newly built Quinta Real. Abdullah is a gutsy
businessman and a visionary in his efforts to develop the Caribbean
Sea shoreline. While I have great respect and admiration for Abdullah
as a businessman, I was more taken by his humanity.
Abdullah is originally from Beit Jala, a Christian
Palestinian town next to Bethlehem. He left in 1967 right after the
Six Day War. I know Beit Jala well because I patrolled the city as an
Israeli soldier. I was uncertain how Abdullah would take to this
stranger who had served as a soldier in the town he still misses so
dearly that he designed the crowns of his new hotel to remind him of
Jerusalem. In what I was to learn was his typical gentle way,
Abdullah focused on our shared experiences. He brought me to his home
for dinner and we discussed politics all night, becoming convinced
that if it were up to us peace would be achieved in a matter of
moments over some hummus.
Honduras is full of life. The people are extremely
bright, unassuming, eager to learn, and looking to better their
lives. The path to be taken so that business may thrive includes:
·
A better business-university partnership
to provide a better-trained workforce.
·
The broader use of technologies for
operational efficiencies, improved information, better customer
service, enhanced logistics, and more advanced marketing options.
·
The branding of the country and some of
its premier products in markets determined to be most attractive for
export.
·
The initiation of government funded and
internationally funded programs to assist companies in identifying
export opportunities and training them to be able to implement global
business transactions.
·
The expansion of internal business
operations through improved distribution channels, more formal
business practices, and the extension of core products into
additional customer offerings.
·
The development of apparent
opportunities like tourism in La Ceiba through government incentives
to develop the coastline.
I found my visit to Honduras to be very gratifying
and inspiring. I believe I made some friends for life. I am excited
for them because I see tremendous opportunity for growth. I look
forward to going back one day. Perhaps when I need my spirits lifted.
Craig Frank is Tudog’s CEO.
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FIU/Winrock
Expert: Alvaro
Garcia
Host Enterprises: National
Federation of Agricultural and Livestock Producers (FENAGH), Honduras
Assignment
Objectives: To improve milk handling by the farmers, to increase
farmer incomes, and to improve plans to maintain milk quality through
producer training.
Volunteer
profile: Dr. Garcia is an Associate Professor and Extension Dairy
Specialist at South Dakota State University. He is a doctor of
veterinary medicine and also has a Ph.D. in animal science (dairy
cattle nutrition). Dr. Garcia has served as a private consultant and an
instructor for the Midwest Dairy Institute and other public and private
groups.
Host
Background: FENAGH is a national association formed in 1961 with 35
producer associations totaling 1,500 members. FENAGH, with the Ministry
of Agriculture and Land O’Lakes, created 70 Centros de
Recoleccion de Leche (CRELs); at this time 35 of them are working. In
San Francisco of Yojoa, five CRELs were created 3 years ago, with 75
producers. They produce 10,000 liters of milk per day and have five
tanks to receive and transport milk but still they have problems in getting
good quality milk. For example, the producers need milk with no more
that 800 somatic cells but at this time they are producing 2,000,000
somatic cells per cm3.
Principal
Activities and Impacts: Prior to his assignment, some
training materials for the hosts were prepared in Spanish and published
through the South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension
Service. For example, 20 copies of the publication, Somatic cells and high bacteria
counts. How to control them? were distributed through CREL members.
Another 20 copies of Environmental
and contagious mastitis also authored by the volunteer were left
with the host. Dr. Garcia also used information and pictures collected
at each site visit for a final presentation with recommendations to
improve milk quality. This form of delivery has been proven to be
highly effective as it is not a pre-prepared presentation and it is
tailored to the needs and issues identified during the
assignment,” said Garcia. “Besides milk quality issues
other more urgent deficiencies were identified in areas such as general
management of dairy cattle and forage utilization. Those topics were
addressed in meetings conducted at each of the five CRELs.”
Approximately 120 farmers and technicians attended the 4-hour final presentation
to hear the volunteer’s recommendations. A similar presentation
was done at the AGAS in San Pedro Sula where 60 producers attended.
Producers have already asked about the possibility of doing something
similar with other groups in the country.
Producers gained practical
knowledge on how to use their existing equipment. For example,
“Very few producers were using the CMT kit for mastitis detection
that Land O’Lakes had provided some time ago,” said Garcia.
“One producer had sent milk to the CREL which had turned sour not
knowing the reason why. He was trained on-site on how to use and
interpret the kit (which he had never opened). Through the use of the
CMT he was able to tell which cow had mastitis and in the next milking
he did not include the milk of that cow. As a result no milk was
rejected from that milking shift. The effectiveness of on-farm cooling
methods was tested in three on-farm trials. The advantage of cooling
the milk cans in water from the moment milk it’s poured into them
was clearly demonstrated, as well as the effectiveness of the cooling
tanks at the CREL. The results were reported in the final
presentation.”
Dr. Garcia observed that as many
as 21 producers send their milk to one CREL and the milk of up to three
CRELS is pooled together to be shipped to the plant. This, milk quality
problems on one farm can taint the milk from more than 50 producers.
Issues such as this can result in producers abandoning the CREL system
if they are not effectively addressed. As a result of the FTF assignment,
the CRELs have contracted with a technician to make daily producer
visits to maintain milk quality.
Dr. Garcia also noted that milk
production is severely restricted due to lack of knowledge in basic
areas of managing forages and feeding dairy cattle. He observed cows in
extremely thin condition and milking only at 20% of their potential.
“Weakness due to malnutrition makes cows more susceptible to
mastitis and thus decreased milk quality,” explained Garcia.
“It is imperative to address this issue asap…Regrettably
the dairy sector is suffering from stagnant milk prices for almost
three years while costs of inputs continue to grow. Having said this I
find that the dairy sector in Honduras has potential if some of the
constraints identified are addressed.”
“One of the most positive
outcomes was the interest manifested by most of the participants in
receive further training in the state of South Dakota,” concluded
Dr. Garcia. “The Midwest Dairy Institute is a private institution
that trains herdsmen in Milbank, SD. Tuition costs are paid with part
of the wages earned by the student while he is working on a hands-on
environment and lectures. The people that manifested the most interest
are well respected by their peers and upon their return to Honduras they
can have a multiplier effect by helping out other producers with
production and milk quality issues. It will be my responsibility to
establish the contact and facilitate their trip to the US.”
Direct
Beneficiaries:
Female: 3
Male: 65
Winrock
Expert: Dr. Ricardo Bessin
Host
Enterprise: Visión
Mundial Honduras and
Center for
Sustainable Agriculture in Intibuca, Honduras
Dates at Site: August 7-28,
2004
Assignment
Objectives:
·
Identify the main factors contributing to white grub,
Phyllophaga sp., damage to potatoes.
·
Provide pest management training to technicians
and growers.
·
Promote improved control methods that are socially
and environmentally sensitive.
·
Develop a plan to educate growers about improved pest
control methods for Phyllophaga sp. for potatoes.
·
Provide pesticide management and safety education.
Volunteer
profile: Dr. Bessin is an extension professor in entomology at
the University of Kentucky. He provides integrated pest management and
pesticide safety education programs to extension and agribusiness
personnel and commercial producers. He has co-authored more than 100
publications related to entomology, pest management, and sustainable
agricultural practices.
Host
Background: Over 1,000 small-scale farmers are planting potato for
income generation, primarily in the Intibuca region of Honduras.
Phyllophaga is a major problem for the farmers. Visión Mundial supports
a Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Intibuca and requested FTF
assistance to assist potato growers.
Principal
Activities and Impacts: Bessin conducted 23 farm visits
throughout Yamaranguila and Monquecagua districts to assess the level
of damage caused by ‘gallina ciega’ (Phyllophaga sp) to
potato and other vegetable crops. Technicians from various organizations participated in these farm
visits. These organizations included: Visión Mundial, Instituto
Nacional de Formacion Profesional (INFOP), Asociacion Nacional de
Fumento de la Agricultura Alternativa (ANAFAE), and the Centro Internacional
de Informacion Sobre Cultivos de Cobertura (CIDICCO). Visión Mundial
is using the volunteer’s training materials to assist other
potato producers in La Esperanza. The FTF country manager also provided
the volunteer’s report to the Ministry of Agriculture to assist
farmers in other regions.
Bessin reported that there are
serious health and safety issues resulting from the misuse and
misapplication of insecticides. For example, he observed that Counter
10GR is applied by some potato producers without protective equipment
at rates as high as 230 lb per hectare; however, it is not even
approved for application to potato fields.
“Insecticides from the
organophosphate and carbamate classes represent some of the most toxic
insecticides in use today,” stated Bessin. “Without
exception, farmers in this region apply these insecticides by hand and
do not have protective equipment (rubber gloves, masks, rubber boots,
googles, or water-resistant suits)…A survey of six pesticide
dealerships in the area was made to determine what insecticides are
available to control gallina ciega and other pests of vegetable crops.
Several reduced-risk insecticides including Jade 0.8 GR, Confidor 70
WP, and Gaucho 70 WP are available to potato growers for gallina ciega
control. During the course of these visits, it was determined that none
of the dealerships carried any personal protective equipment for
pesticide applicators. While most of the pesticides carried the
directions for general use and the crop recommendations, a large number
did not have the accompanying information. The result is that users of
the pesticides don’t always have the necessary information on
approved crops and the respective use rates.”
Bessin established two field
studies to evaluate cultural and reduced-risk chemical controls,
including a biological insecticide, Beauveria bassiana. “The
results of the studies will form the basis of future recommendations
for gallina ciega control in horticultural crops in the area,”
explained Bessin. “They will also be the sites for
grower-education field days. Ing. Arnoldo Valascez from INFOP plans on
using these studies as the basis for his thesis next summer.”
He also presented two training
sessions to 20 growers and local technicians on biology and control of
gallina ciega and proper management of insecticides. Each of the
technicians indicated that they planned on using these Spanish language
educational materials with their producers. Personal protective
equipment was also provided to a few technicians and growers who will
serve as examples to other producers. As a result, farmers have already
decreased pesticide use.
“The greatest impact of
the visit may be the demonstration of the proper methods to conduct
field research in statistically sound manner. The key ideas of
experimental design, replication, randomization, equal treatment of
experimental units, and value of untreated controls were taught to the
technicians. Without exception, each of the technicians indicated that
they had other studies they would like to conduct on their own using
this methodology. They were truly excited about conducting these types
of trials in the future. The potential benefits from this could be
enormous for the region. It should be noted that at their sustainable
agriculture research station, their trials suffered from lack of
replication, poor or non-existent controls making comparisons among
production methods impossible.”
Bessin concluded,
“Knowledge on the availability and effectiveness of reduced risk
alternatives for gallina ciega control will provide the basis for pest
management recommendations. Not only will these help to reduce damage
by the pest, but also they will help to improved the safety of the
harvested potatoes and reduce the exposure of producers to more hazardous
insecticides. As this is one of the key potato producing regions for
the country, supplying potatoes to the major metropolitan areas,
changes in this area can affect the larger population. Reducing
potential insecticide residues in the potatoes will be an easily
obtainable goal with these new alternatives. The evaluation of the
biological insecticide also supports the development of tools for
organic production.
“Improved control of
gallina ciega will also impact the rural economy. Potatoes and other vegetables
are the key cash crops for many growers. These crops allow growers to
diversify their farms from just subsistence on corn and bean
production. Reducing the damage from 50 percent or more to close to 10
percent will have significant economic impact at the farm level.”
Direct
Beneficiaries:
Female: 5
Male: 35
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