Overview:
1) Improving food availability in 80 indigenous communities of Cachiquel ethnic group of the Department of Chimaltenango by enhancing agricultural production through the introduction of improved seeds of maize and beans, the diversification of the diet by growing vegetables and maize and the decrease of grain post-harvest losses through the introduction of silos for storage of grains.
Activities:
- production of q 68 of seeds of maize and t 26 of bean seeds;
- construction of 35 demonstration areas and training of farmers;
- production of corn and beans by 1,000 farmers with better seeds into plots of mq 800 and mq 400;
- training of 2,000 women farmers on food issues;
- realization of 2,000 parcels in favour of farmers, planted with vegetables;
- production, consumption and sale of products derived from the plots realized;
- training of 4,000 farmers in post-harvest storage techniques;
- construction of 4,000 silos for storage.
Results:
- all planned activities have been completed and the production of the new varieties of maize for 1,000 farmers increased by 68% while that of beans by 108%.
- global production of legumes and vegetables for 2,000 woman amounted to t 980, which means kg 480 for each beneficiary woman (therefore for their entire family) to be used for consumption and for sale.
- 4,700 farmers now use silos for the storage of maize and can put into practice good techniques to harvest. The losses resulting from storage of maize corn are now almost zero.
