AARFS works in coordination with Eleven Rivers in the competitiveness of the grower companies of North Sinaloa

On Saturday, March 10, Mr. Vinicio Montiel gave his partners his second report of activities for the year 2017 as leader of the Growers Association of the North of Sinaloa (AARFS).

During his report Eng. Montiel mentioned how the Association together with Eleven Rivers Growers seeks to increase the competitiveness of horticultural companies through the training of entrepreneurs and their technical staff, for which 5 workshops were given at the end of the season, these actions improve the performance of companies in aspects such as food safety and social responsibility, so that they can comply with the regulations and certifications to the North American market.

He shared that part of the national statistics shows an agricultural sector that has been growing at a faster speed than the economy as a whole. Last year the sector grew 2.6%, above the 2.3 of the economy. We exported 14,463 million dollars against 11,300 million imports, with a favorable balance of 3,163 million dollars, which represents 66% of the balance of the entire agri-food balance, becoming one of the sectors that contribute most foreign currency to the country.

This shows that a thriving and dynamic segment of the Mexican farm, focused on foreign trade and linked with value-added chains.

But there is another segment that has not been benefited by the opening and integration to the global market, as is the production of grains, even though we are a deficit country in this line.

He commented that agriculture, like any activity, needs to transform itself to face new challenges and realities. You cannot continue with traditional production methods, when the demand for food, changes in consumption patterns, concern for health and the environment, force us to improve the production model to respond to these demands.

Therefore, AARFS has become a national benchmark in the promotion and development of sustainable agriculture. The relationship with CIMMYT has allowed to strengthen the Experimental Platform in the practice of conservation agriculture, an experience that has been very valuable to integrate several producer partners in the Conservation Tillage Club of this organization, providing advice and technical training with financial support from FIRA.

This project is giving good results, and has been reinforced with the creation of a Machinery and Equipment Central that was made possible by the support of the State Government and Fundacion Produce Sinaloa. The equipment are in the association and will be available to producers who are part of the Tillage Club.

Other projects that go in line with the search for productive alternatives, we should mention the program that we undertook to obtain wheat varieties with greater yield potential and resistance to diseases, particularly for the producers of Valle del Carrizo with help of Ph. Sanjaya Rajaram, a prominent geneticist with extensive experience in seed research, with the collaboration of Fundacion Produce Sinaloa in this project.

For this it was necessary to acquire a specialized thresher to harvest the materials generated with this project. We also promoted an initiative of the Model Group for the production of malting barley in the Carrizo Valley. The project began in this cycle in an area of ​​105 hectares, through a scheme of Agriculture by Contract, with seed support and the required technical advice. We want this to be a good alternative and expand the options for producers in that area. It should be reiterated, because we have already expressed it, the potential that opens up for the agroindustrial development of this region and in general of Sinaloa, based on the availability of natural gas, which will undoubtedly allow the integration of primary production with the processes of value added.

And also indicate the benefit that would have for our sector the construction of a fertilizer plant of Swiss – German origin, located in Topolobampo whose project is to start with the production of ammonia and later urea, which will allow a secure supply, of better quality and possibly a lower cost of these inputs.

He shared that they have designed a more agile and attractive communication platform for the associates, using modern digital technologies. A mobile application through which producers can view relevant information in real time. The information must flow faster and be available to everyone to make better decisions.

They also initiated the use of Drones in the technical services of the Parafinanciera and the Insurance Fund, which allows them to make crop mappings and timely detection of nutritional deficiencies of soils and plants as well as diseases.

The association is renovating a good part of the infrastructure to improve the image and functionality of their services. The building of the hardware store was remodeled creating office spaces in which several areas of attention are already concentrated. This central building, an icon of farmers, is being modernized, respecting its original structure dating from 1966, to incorporate an avant-garde concept with equipment and technology more in line with the actual needs.

With the purpose of using clean energies in the storage warehouses, a system of variable speed drives was installed that have allowed a saving of 35% in the consumption of energy, with an environmental benefit by not releasing 68 tons of carbon dioxide. Equals the supply of 622 homes.

As for equipment, it is worth highlighting the acquisition of a new tractor and some implements for the Experimental Platform, in addition to six transport units in various services and a forklift for the seed area.

To conclude his report of work Eng. Montiel invited the members of the AARFS to be precursors of an efficient and modern agriculture, at the height of these times and of those who come.

More than public policies, which are undoubtedly necessary, farmers should be the protagonists of the direction of our activity. We have an 85-year-old organization that is still vigorous.

It was, is and will continue to be a bulwark of our aspirations. Let us strengthen it even more so that it continues its mission to represent us and project us as a united, responsible and proactive sector. An organization that must continue forward, leading the course and defining strategies to keep alive our hopes and the agricultural generations after us.