Project News

In order to give the farmer groups of our Project an on-hands experience with successful farmer groups, we made 3 study tours to groups that had been formed in a previous project called PROCCAPA (Project for the Conservation of the Panama Canal Watershed).  The tours were held between August and September and were for two days and one night (the third tours was for 3 days and two nights).

The tours began with an orientation lecture at ANAM's CEDESAM (Center for Sustainable Environmental Development) facilities followed by a visit to the demonstration plot (photo 1).

Next, the tour groups would visit the group farms.  Since both the "visitors" and the "visited" were farmers, an intense exchange of information regarding crops and farming methods would ensue (photo 2).  Finally, individual farms were visited and participants could confirm how the new techniques were being applied on individual farms.  All the participants were impressed to see how the farmers protected their soil by using contour planting on sloped farmland (photos 3 and 4).

Our goal is to have these techniques adopted on the group farms of Alhajuela Project as well, and we will continue our efforts toward that end.

(Photo1: left) (Photo 2: right)

(Photo 3: left) (Photo 4: right)

(Mr. Isao SAKAI, Chief Advisor / Rural Development)