The Governments of El Salvador and Italy unite for Salvadoran coffee growing, for this reason, they launched the Vivicafé Project: “Increase in Added Value and Valorization of Coffee from El Salvador”, which will have an investment of more than US$5 million , financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, thanks to the management of the Salvadoran Agency for International Cooperation.
The launch of the initiative was presided over by the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Enrique Parada, and by the Italian ambassador in El Salvador, Edoardo Pucci; and it was held at the Coffee Association of El Salvador, Chalatenango headquarters.
Minister Parada explained that the project will be executed by the Salvadoran Coffee Council (CSC) and that it will directly benefit 1,100 producers and some 4,400 people linked to coffee activities in the Alotepec-Metapán and Cacahuatique mountain ranges.
“The promotion of coffee farming is a fundamental part of our Government, and with this project we seek to contribute to the revitalization of the national economy to generate opportunities for families, companies and the country. And we will achieve it by strengthening the production, productivity and profitability of coffee,” said the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).
For his part, Ambassador Edoardo Pucci emphasized that: “The Vivicafé project aims to improve the conditions of small coffee producers and increase sustainability, improving the quality of coffee.”
The head of the MAG explained that Vivicafé will be developed for two years, through three components:
Component 1: will be focused on supporting small coffee growers through actions such as: training and technical assistance, delivery of inputs, renovation of farms, production of various tree nurseries. With an investment of more than US$1,185,412.
Component 2: will promote the added value of coffee in the post-harvest phase, with the development of a sustainability plan, creation and equipment of quality control laboratories, provision of wet and dry mills, African beds, water sources waste, roasting equipment, mills and sealers, among others. You will have an investment of more than US$2,767,725.
Component 3: will be focused on the valorization and promotion of Café de El Salvador, through training for international commercialization, the modernization of access to soluble coffee processing technology, among other actions. The investment for this stage is US$1,087,234.
Vivicafé will allocate more than US$5 million for our coffee growing, an agricultural activity that represents a great contribution to the economy, society and the environment.
On the other hand, Minister Enrique Parada stressed that: “In addition to this project, we are carrying out many others in parallel, in order to strengthen this sector, so that production increases, since this year international prices are favorable. We also hope to exceed one million quintals in this harvest.”
And he reminded the coffee growers that: “Soon we will be able to count on the Salvadoran Coffee Institute, which will once again put us at the forefront of technology, and we will seek to once again be a benchmark in the region.”
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