Small producers in Los Ríos received 15,000 grafted cocoa plants

The material is part of the Fine National Café and National Cocoa Reactivation project.

Twenty small producers from the province of Los Ríos received15,000 grafted plants of cocoa, through an agreement signed between theSubsecretariat of Forestry Production, the State Technical University of Quevedoand theFine Aroma Coffee and National Cocoa Reactivation Projectof theMinistry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).

The execution of this agreement, the MAG reported in a statement, aims to the productive promotion of cocoa culture, which also benefited will receive technical accompaniment throughout the process.

According to MAG figures, in Ecuador there are 527,347 hectares harvested of cocoa, with a production of 327,903 tons and a performance of 6.2 quintals per hectare.

The main producing provinces are the rivers, with 28.36 %, Guayas (27.87 %) and Manabí (13.78 %). As for exports, according to the Central Bank figures collected by the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor), from January to July Ecuador exported $ 431 million in cocoa and prepared

One of the beneficiaries was Lisseth Alonzo, a small farmer dedicated to short and fruit cycle crops, who received 800 cocoa plants. "I feel happy, because we have the help of MAG to produce cocoa, which allows us to move on," said the producer.

Gustavo Triviño Bloisse, District Director of MAG Los Ríos, said that the Entity's desire is to help the small and medium producer with technical assistance through the programs and projects executed by the District Directorate of Los Ríos.

"As a producer, I know the needs of farmers, and from MAG we will continue working since planting with cultural, fertilization, harvest and marketing. Together we will continue working for the future of the province," said the official.