31 Costa Rican agricultural SMEs will receive non-reimbursable funds.
The beneficiaries will also become suppliers for three exporting companies dealing with abaca, orange sweet potatoes, and yucca by-products.
San Jose, September 3, 2021. Following a thorough review of applicants, the jury of the Supplier Program of DISCOVER determined that 31 small and medium-sized agricultural companies or producers are the winners of non-reimbursable funds and the opportunity to become suppliers for three exporting companies dealing with abaca, orange sweet potatoes, and yucca by-products.
Of the total winners, 9 are abaca producers and 2 cooperatives that together group 73 producers from the Huetar Caribe, Central Pacific, and Brunca regions. In orange sweet potatoes, 15 SMEs from the Huetar Norte and Central regions won, while in yucca, 5 winners were from the Huetar Norte and Caribe regions of the country. 84% of these SMEs are outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), and 25% are led by women.
“We are pleased to see the diversity of regions from which these winning companies come, which will soon become suppliers for three strong companies. These companies, in addition to doing business, will share knowledge and best practices, providing them with more tools to gain competitiveness and consolidate. We also celebrate the growing interest of agricultural companies in improving their conditions, innovating, and striving to promote sustainability in the country’s agricultural activities,” said the Minister of Foreign Trade, Andrés Valenciano.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Laura Pacheco Ovares, celebrated the construction of a program that enhances the Agricultural Sector on the path to having a competitive agro-industrial park. “Technology and innovation will allow the sector to take a leap towards productivity. Closing gaps in this process is essential to provide tools to producers so they can grow, link up, and achieve sustainability, generating employment and wealth in the territories. It is important to continue generating opportunities for our small and medium-sized producers to continue driving a prosperous and inclusive Costa Rica in a dynamic economy,” she expressed.
Pedro Beirute, General Manager of PROCOMER, added that these winning SMEs, in addition to receiving non-reimbursable funds of up to $18,000, will also receive technical assistance to improve their production processes and quality standards. “Through the DISCOVER program, we seek to innovate and diversify the exportable agricultural offer, promoting a more competitive agricultural sector. Linking with exporting companies allows smaller companies and producers to penetrate international markets and take advantage of the opportunities they offer,” he added.
These 31 SMEs will receive the funds starting from September of this year and will subsequently begin the process of business advice and development for the next 12 months.
The winning companies are:
Sweet Potato Chain
• Fechako S.A.
• Congelados Monte Hermon S.A.
• Theía Chári Exports S.A.
• Pablo César Peralta Quesada
• Sol & AMB S.A.
• Greivin Mena
• Emer Ureña Vargas
• 3-101-705377 S.A.
• Trinaca de Alajuela S.A.
• David Azofeifa Alvarado
• Carlos Luis Salas Trejos
• Inmobiliaria Batalla de Los Robles S.A.
• Jesús Armando Zúñiga Arias
• Lydio Teófilo Orias Lezama
• Adrián Arana Esquivel
Abaca Chain
• Carolina de las Colinas S.A.
• Tairis Chavarría Vargas
• Alcides Orochena
• Sonia Maritza García Morales
• Walter Mora Caballero
• Raúl David Castillo León
• Agricoop R.L.
• Desarrollo de Sistemas Ambientales DSA de Costa Rica S.A.
• Yamileth Suazo Vargas
• María Vitalina Fallas Alvarado
• Asociación Pro Fomento de Proyectos Productivos de la Subregión de Quepos
Yucca Chain
• Miguel Miranda Domínguez
• Desarrollos Comerciales Macondo S.A.
• Gabriel Vega Ugalde
• Geovanni Mora Villagra
• Mauricio Marín Jiménez
About DISCOVER
DISCOVER is an interinstitutional program coordinated by COMEX, MAG, and PROCOMER, in collaboration with CINDE and the Development Banking System, which aims to revalue agriculture and fishing as sustainable activities towards an inclusive and dynamic economy, as well as promote investment attraction in rural and coastal areas of the country.
It proposes a collaborative strategy between the public and private sectors for the creation of a new exportable offer, diversification of export markets, and innovation in all links of the value chain, through an improvement in institutional coordination to remove barriers to the establishment and development of these activities.
For 2021, DISCOVER has planned 10 value chains: abaca, mariculture, beef, hemp, turmeric, papaya, fine and aromatic cocoa, orange sweet potato, yucca by-products, and insects.
More information: www.descubre.cr.
