Guatemala City, Oct 30 (AGN). Much of Guatemala’s economy is based on agricultural activities and the Government promotes actions to protect, encourage, stimulate and develop them, emphasized the President Alejandro Giammattei this Sunday night during his weekly program.
The president reiterated the importance of food security and of continuing to watch over the farmers of the territory.
Today with farmer Juan José Rodríguez we will talk about Agricultural Insurance and Agricultural Stipend. Two programs that I launched this year and whose fruits we are already seeing in the number of beneficiaries, he recalled.
Gratitude
During the program, the beneficiary recalled that, despite the fact that crises have arisen in the country during the year, the Government has maintained support for the most vulnerable.
In that aspect, the President Giammattei He recalled that the problems in the country stem from climate change, excess rains or droughts, which has left damage and losses in the economy, especially in agriculture.
Through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), we provide assistance to farmers, highlighted the president.
🔴📽️ MAGA micronewscast in 60 seconds – As part of the change that is taking place in the country, in terms of food security, important achievements have been made for rural families through the School Feeding Program. pic.twitter.com/eauxOpr8V3
– MAGA Guatemala (@MagaGuatemala) October 28, 2022
The programs
In this sense, the authorities of the Executive Body They have created various programs for the benefit of the different sectors of the country, one is agriculture.
In addition, the programs are coordinated by the MAGAwhose purpose is to guarantee the food security of the population in the face of any emergency caused by climate change.
From this account, the Agricultural Insurance was presented on February 10 of this year in support of small producers who have been affected by intense rains or prolonged drought.
The goal of providing coverage to 40,000 producers by 2022 has already been met.
In addition to this, the Government also promotes the Agricultural Stipend program, which is part of the national soil recovery plan.
Consequently, this program is aimed at farmers who have complied with carrying out soil recovery and conservation practices on their plots.
For this reason, so far this year, the stipend has been granted to more than 90,000 beneficiaries of the 180,000 producers in rural areas, proposed as a goal in March of this year, when the program was presented, the authorities detail.
Also, the stipend It consists of the delivery of one thousand quetzales to each beneficiary for the purchase of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, fungicides or pesticides.
In addition, the authorities emphasize that the objective is to ensure food production during this year and strengthen food reserves for 2023.
The #MAGA continues to train fruit producers nationwide. 🍑🍍🍓 pic.twitter.com/GmlB9jgRUE
– MAGA Guatemala (@MagaGuatemala) October 25, 2022
The beneficiaries
During the program, one of the beneficiaries asked the President about how the insurance works for farmers.
The insurance, by the way unique in its kind, applies when the damage occurs due to excess rain or drought on the specific territory that is monitored, the President said.
Due to the above, he highlighted that, unlike traditional ones, this parametric insurance makes a historical analysis of the normal behavior of the climate. Likewise, it studies the economic losses derived from extreme events such as hurricanes, tropical storms or prolonged heat waves.
In this context, the insurer makes use of a technological platform that uses information from a meteorological satellite. This is to remotely determine the occurrence of an event that will activate coverage.
The payment is made directly to the beneficiary by sending a code to the registered telephone, with which he can withdraw his cash at the ATMs of the banking system, the government official pointed out.
The Labor Mobility Program has allowed the construction of walls of prosperity and has made circular migration viable in an optional, safe, orderly and regular manner.#1000DaysAtTheServiceOfTheCountry#TogetherLet’sMoveForward pic.twitter.com/XhPoF9yFkq
— Guatemalan Government (@GuatemalaGob) October 25, 2022
queries
In addition, the President was consulted on what the strategies for soil recovery in the country consist of.
As you know, soil is a non-renewable natural resource. It is the basis for the development of agriculture and therefore for food security, he said.
Therefore, he said that through the MAGA Specialized technical assistance is provided to farmers, so that they comply with good agricultural practices from contour planting, contour lines, establishment of live and dead barriers, infiltration ditches, live fences or individual terraces.
to more families
The Chief Executive emphasized, in August, that 2,898 farming families from Retalhuleu, Jutiapa, Escuintla, Suchitepéquez, Sololá, Santa Rosa, El Progreso, Quetzaltenango and Petén have already received the first payment of this insurance.
To do this, he recalled that these actions are part of the pillars of social development and economy, competitiveness and prosperity of the General Government Policy.
This is how we combat poverty and extreme poverty by promoting social compensators. We also seek greater economic growth and a significant increase in the sources of sustainable employment, said the president.
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