Nicaragua to produce its own tomato seed

Having a tomato seed that yields a high quality fruit, that can be easily multiplied, and can last l…

Having a tomato seed that yields a high quality fruit, that can be easily multiplied, and can last longer on supermarket shelves is no longer a dream but a reality that is about to be tested by a group of producers in four areas of Honduras.

Since last year, small producers supported by the government and by international institutions, began researching a new tomato variety which has provisionally been called number 6 and that is more resistant to pests and that has a higher quality for marketing.

This seed variety is the result of hours of hard work by producers and technicians.

The producers are going to grow it in a plot of land in the neighbourhood of Las Flores, Cantarranas, Francisco Morazan, to check its performance levels.

A demonstration plot with macro-tunnel technology that allows excellent crop management regarding pest control was installed in this area to finish the research process.

Along with the new variety producers are also sowing the seeds of the Pony hybrid variety, which they normally use, so they can compare both varieties.

The project has the support of experts from the Directorate of Agricultural Science and Technology (dictates) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG), as well as of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) through the Regional Program for Research and Innovation for Agricultural Value Chains (PRIICA). This program is funded by the European Union.

The PRIICA is a program aimed at organizing small local producers of tomatoes in Central America. Its main objective is to contribute to increasing the availability and access to food through innovation and agricultural research as a tool for the fight against poverty.