Gateway El Salvador
Corinto Produce and Marketing Project
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Corinto small-farmer Ismael Guzmán shows off the green peppers he grew using a CRS drip-irrigation system.
Ismael Guzmán's story
"For me (the project) has been like a school. I have learned many new things," says Ismael Guzmán, 58, a farmer from La Laguna, in Corinto, Morazán. He is one of 190 small farmers who are participating in CRS´ Corinto Produce and Marketing Project.
Ismael was one of the first farmers to join the project and using the new techniques has paid off for him. He is now producing more and better quality vegetables, which he markets through the Vegetable Marketing Association of Corinto (PHOC in Spanish). His successful vegetable plot and experiences are models for other project participants from neighboring Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.
However, the most important thing to Ismael is helping his community. "I'm happy when I can help my neighbors. I like showing them all that I have learned from CRS and helping them try new techniques that work," he said.
How Do We Do This Project and What Are Our Accomplishments To Date?
Catholic Relief Services' Corinto Produce and Marketing Project helps 190 small farmers from 19 communities in the Corinto, Morazán department produce and market high quality fruits and vegetables in large quantities. In 2002, these farmers formed the PHOC and began selling their produce to a national supermarket chain. The PHOC brand name is already recognized throughout the eastern part of the country.
Women play an important role in the production chain; the 50 women participating in the project are in charge of quality control and the administration of PHOC Packing Centers. The project's success has made it a model for El Salvador and for CRS throughout Central America.
Background of the Project
Many small farmers in El Salvador continue to plant mainly traditional crops such as beans, maize, coffee and millet. Because of this, approximately 75 percent of the vegetables consumed in the eastern part of the country are imported from neighboring Central American countries.
The Corinto Project began in 2000 with the goals of increasing produce yields and helping small farmers gain access to larger markets while simultaneously protecting the environment. The project is one of many in eastern El Salvador developed by CRS and its partners to improve the economic and social lives of small farmers. The project is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
