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GREEN-seeds.com:
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GUATEMALAN HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH: CURRENT SITUATION AND MAIN CONSTRAINTS. |
Juan Carlos Granados Friely
Technical Director
Program for Developing Fruit Crops
3a. calle 6-11 zona 9.
Guatemala, C.A.
E-mail: profruta@guate.net
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INTRODUCTION
 Guatemala is the northernmost
country in Central America. Its principal exports are coffee, sugar, bananas,
cardamom, textiles, apparel and non-tradtional products.
Traditionally an agricultural
society, the production of non-traditional agricultural products for export
has had an impressive effect on employment rates and on family income for
small and medium farmes in Central America. Over the past 10 years, regional
exports have increased from US70 million in 1987 to US$320 million arose
in 1997.
According to this growing
the necesities in investing on horticultural research have increased in
the same proportion. Barely some private companies use to make investments
in research. This activitie was realized by students from several universities
in order to get their bachelor degrees but not in response to the grower
necesities.
The present paper offers
an overview of the main horticultural crops in the country en the main horticultural
research inputs to develop.
HORTICULTURAL OVERVIEW
Guatemala, a predominant
agricultural country, has long relied on traditional products such as coffee,
sugar and bananas as its main source of foreign income. A new trend has
been emergin in the las two decades with the cultivation of new or non-traditional
products such as vegetables, fruits, flowers and ornamental plants.
Guatemala, the northermost
country in Central America, is strategically located in the center of the
American continent, with Mexico to the north and west, Belize, Honduras
and El Salvador to the East and the Pacific Ocean on the South. Although
relatively small in size, Guatemla offers an impressive variety of land
features making it unique in this part of the world.
With a population of
10 millions and a labor force exceeding 2.8 million, the largest in the
Central American region, Guatemala has the bes trained and most diverse
work force in the area. Agriculture continues to dominate the Guatemalan
economy employing over half of the available labor force. The agricultural
sector accounts for one quarter of the country's output and two thirds of
all exports. Present trend points to an accelerated increase in the production
of new or non-traditional agricultural export products, such a tropical
fruits and vegetables.
Increasing foreign exchanche
problems and deteriorating prices of traditional export commodities are
leading agricultural policymakers to seek diversification in export crop
production. Export vegetables, which are non-traditional crops, appear to
be a promising option because of their high labor intensity and expandind
demand in industrialized countries.
Guatemala's non traditional
agricultural export sector offers broad opportunities for foreign investors,
both in wholly-owned or joint-venture enterprises.
The fruit, flower and
vegetable sectors are presently receiving the greates investment, so the
potential for further expansion in the tropical fruit in one of the most
promisories in the Pacific and Caribbean coastal lowlands. Given Guatemala's
developed infraestructure an its proximity to major markets, the potential
in the agricultural secor is enormous.
Ample land for expansion
in the vegetable and flower sector is really available in the central highlands
region where high yield, temperate-zone-vegetables production areas are
just two hours away from Guatemala city.
As horticultural crops
have expanded, related industries such as wrapping, boxes, freezing plants,
and packaging plants, have developed to support these exports efforts.
The country has certainly
emerged as an importan supplier of high quality, of season speciality lines.
Snow peas and sugar snap peas have become major exports, the same with berry
fruits, squashes, mangoes, melons and baby vegetables.
The demand for fresh
product from Europe are basici vegetables like sugar snap peas, snow peas,
asparagus and some other. For fruit the demand of the European market is
for berries, mangoes, and melons. These crops may be exported in processed
form as well as fresh.
Berries mainly blackberry
and raspberry are available rear round, this period begins in October to
June. The product is exported fresh or frozen, depending on the market.
The main package to use is a flat with 12 baskets of half pint each. Some
trials with controlled atmosphere and wraps are underway to extend shelf
life. The packaged and classified products are shipped primarily by air.
Other types of berries could be introduced such as loganberry or boysenberry.
Broccoli is availaable
all year long. The majority of broccoli productions is close to the capital.
The broccoli is exported as processed form as well as fresh. The pa package
could be in bulk package or final consumer package. The packaged product
is shipped primarily by sea transportation when it is frozen.
Brussel sprouts have
a production period of seven months, this period begins in August and ends
in February. Brussel sprouts can be exported in fresh and frozen forms.
frozen brussels sprouts can be packed in the individuals trays and boxes
which reach the final consumer, so that only the sailing label need to be
added in the market. Brussel sprouts are less popular among farmers and
are ussually contracted jointly with another crop such as broccoli.
Most melons are produced
in Northeast and Southeast areas. These large growing operations are either
owned by affiliated with U.S. marketing companies. Melons are shipped by
sea in containers. Melons has a production period of eight months, this
period begins in October and ends in May.
Cardamom is exported
as a processed spice. The large majority of exports are in pergamino form.
Markets are: Saudi Arabia (90%), Europe (5%), others (5%). Guatemala exceeded
India as the largest producer of cardamom in the mid 80s and is considered
to have top production in India, have become widespread in Guatemala. Coupled
with lower world prices, this has caused a decrease in production.
Cashew nut is produced
all year long. The form of exports is shelled. Cashew nuts are appropiatly
packed for retail and also available with gift package. Some companies advertise
their roasted cashew nuts as organic. The largest cashew plantation is in
Zacapa and supplies extract, concentrate for animal consumption, and seed
husks for use in the disks at the industrial level. Productions occurs throghout
the Plain Coast.
Cauliflower is produced
all year long. Production is under irrigation which allows the supply of
it throughout most of the year. The exportation is basically fresh. Green
steam is a problem in some areas, as well as hollow steam.
French green beans are
available all yeal long if the production is under irrigation. The majority
of exports have been in fresh form, but recently frozen french green beans
have also been exporte. Only the highest quality is exported in order to
compete in the narrow market. Lettuce is available allyear long. Production
area has been expanden by providin transplants and extensive technical assistance
to farms. Many exporter are using most advanced technology for lettuce production.
This technology was adopted form California and has resulted in very high
quality.
Macadamia nuts are produced
all year ong. The form of export is shelled. The months of peak harves are
similar to Hawaii's. Most of the production/export form Guatemala is handled
by Hawaiaians.
Mango is produced during
March to July. The forms of export are fresh, pulp and preserved. Currently
fresh mango is trated with a hot water dip to eliminate the mediterranean
fruit fly an d Anasthepa fruit fly species. Exportation in 1997 was 10,000
tons.
Okra is produced all
year long. The forms of export are fresh and frozen. Airshipped if fresh.
Window market runs from November to Vebruary. Production and exportations
have increased since 1987.
Onion or green onion
is available all year ong. The forms of export are fresh and dried. Most
export are to Central America, but in the past few years there have been
some shipments to Europe and United States.
HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH CONSTRAINTS
Even when Guatemala
production trends to diversification, horticultural research is totally
a new issue. Often technology is adopted from another countries, mainly
developed countries such as United States by our proximity.
In general terms, universities,
public or private ones, are not researching what the producer needs. So
there is a divorce betwen the items under investigation in the universities
and what the local producer is demanding. As an example, there is a great
interest in exporting papayas to United States, but It requires to treat
all shipments with a quarentine treatment. In order to get these goals is
mandatory to make a research protocol. At present this research is conducted
by the goverment and a private company, when this space should be occupied
by a university.
The whole process of
production begins in nursery fields. There are a lot of problems trying
to graft some hard-grafted-species. Nutrition, Integrated Pest Managements
are another topics that are no under way in universities. The main problem
is focused in the lack of an appropiate budget to help producers or another
usuaries under cooperative agreements.
The problem is at present
taked seriously by different sectors. In this year It was created the Guatemalan
Society for Horticultural Sciences with the mission to be encouraged of
developing new technologies in the field of the horticulture. This organization
will pretend to be the lider in Guatemalan Horticultural Research. Several
activities have been organized in order to know the real problems faced
by the horticultural industry. In the long term, cooperative programs under
goverment support and international agreements will be developed.
The lack of human resources
prepared in this field have to be the main situation to solve in the short
term. There are any university with a program oriented to form personal
in horticulture. In other words, there are not posgraduate programs such
as magisters, doctoral, in horticulture. As a matter of fact, there are
no horticulture departments in any university in the country. Agricultural
programs exist only in three universities, one public and the rest private
ones.
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