Guatemala strengthens its family agriculture programmes and the fight against malnutrition with support from the EU

Guatemala will strengthen its family agriculture programmes and its fight against malnutrition with a fleet of vehicles and lorries acquired using financial support from the European Union (EU), an official source reported today.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA, acronym in Spanish) explained that 90 pickups and 11 lorries destined for fieldwork were bought with the 68.19 million received from the EU under “sectoral financial support”.

”The financial support, that today is being transformed into vehicles for extension workers, reaffirms cooperation links with our European Union friends and commercial partners. It is a clear example that the rest of the world views the Family Agriculture Programme as the way to boost comprehensive rural development,” said Guatemalan Minister of Agriculture, Mario Méndez Montenegro.

The equipment will be used to strengthen the MAGA’s Family Agriculture Programme, which aims for the progressive improvement of farmers through extension workers providing accompaniment and technical assistance.

As well as reinforcing rural extension, this donation will help to meet the national target of reducing indices of malnutrition, as it will strengthen food production and inject life into the local economy.

The support received is the first of three financial payments that the EU will make between now and 2020 as part of an agreement signed with the Government of Guatemala to be invested in government development generation programmes and projects.

#TogetherWeProgress | In a symbolic act, representatives of the SNER (National System of Rural Extension Workers) were presented with the keys to the vehicles, which will promote comprehensive rural development in Guatemala, by Minister Mario Méndez Montenegro and the ambassador Stefano Gatto. pic.twitter.com/3rYMr0rIiK

— MAGA Guatemala (@MagaGuatemala) March 14, 2019