La Prensa : Greenhouse in Coclé
Israeli technology tested in the Panamanian countryside
Aet Elisa Tejera C. SEP 2nd 2018 – 00:00h
In Coclé, three hectares of cucurbits under greenhouse are cultivated for export and 7 hectares of organic fruit plants.
The construction of the nursery began a year ago and for December it is scheduled to start selling the first mango, citrus and avocado seedlings.
Modern agriculture requires the efficient use of resources, less water, eliminating the use of agrochemicals and better use of the land.
This is the road map of the Simply Natural organic production farm to produce one million seedlings per year of fruit trees for commercial sale. With an investment of $ 10 million, the Panamanian entrepreneur Alan Winstead and his partner Brian Angiuli initiated the largest organic nursery project in Central America in the district of El Caño, Natá, in the province of Coclé.
The nursery in El Caño de Natá was born from the need to supply the local market with certified fruit tree seedlings. “As Panama does not have an industrial fruit agriculture there were not the varieties that we need for an export fruit. The demand for fresh fruit is very large and Panama planting 30,000 hectares of fruit trees did not supply it, so we decided to change this trend, “said Alan Winstead, owner of Simply Natural.
Panama, due to its characteristics of soil and climate, has enormous potential to take advantage of the cultivation of fruits. Although it is estimated at 2 million hectares available for agricultural crops throughout the country, only a few lands are used to produce fruit. The total reaches 40 thousand 389 hectares, according to the study Diagnostics of the subsector of fruits of Panama, of the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO, for its acronym in English).
Growing offer for planting
The Simply Natural project is developed in 10 hectares. Three, in greenhouses, will be used for the cultivation of cucurbits (melon, watermelon and cucumber) for export and the other seven hectares for the production of mango, avocado and citrus plants, such as Persian lemon.
The complex works with 6 patented and certified varieties. Courtesy – LP.
In mango they produce six varieties, some of them patented through strategic alliances with development and research centers in South Africa; in Florida, the United States, and Israel. “They are patented varieties that we know have a good future and are adaptable to the climate of Panama,” he said.
“To achieve competitiveness we had to develop an efficient business model leveraged with the use of technology,” says Winstead.
The plans of the company are to have the seedlings ready for sale next December.
In the agricultural enclosures they implemented an Israeli sowing model that is based on the absolute technification and efficiency of the use of resources from water, human capital and land. “When we started with the first stage of the nursery, 0.4 hectares were worked by 15 people, now there are more hectares managed with the same number of people,” explained Winstead.
Israeli technology tested in the Panamanian countryside
“I learned by doing. I worked with the best agronomists and scientists from Israel, the United States, Argentina, Panama, Colombia and Costa Rica.
” The future of the Panamanian productive sector is in the export of tropical fruits and vegetables. Panama should take advantage of niche markets such as the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, says the entrepreneur.
Among the company’s plans are to work in partnership with local producers. “The producer interested in growing fruits is supplied with the seedlings, they share the technical knowledge, we accompany him in the development of the land and certification of the fruit until the sale”, explained the Panamanian businessman.
Simply Natural is dedicated to fruit production in Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico. “We currently export to the United States, Canada and Europe. With this project what is sought is to add the exportable offer of Panama “.
This is the second nursery of fruit trees that develops in Coclé. In Tambo, province of Coclé, the company Vivero, Semillas y Plantas reproduces thousands of certified citrus seedlings for commercial sowing.