Friday, 20 January 2023 19:04

MAG seeks to boost agricultural production to improve food security

Written by Evelyn Alas

The Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG) will give more dynamism to activities aimed at increasing agricultural production.

This was announced by the acting minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Oscar Enrique Guardado: "This year we will strengthen the coffee, livestock, fisheries and agricultural sectors through education, technology and technology, creating opportunities for our producers".

Special support will be given to coffee, livestock, aquaculture, basic grains cultivation, including a greater number of marketing centers for agricultural inputs by CENTA, as well as the application of technology and pest control and the expansion of integrated family food systems and home gardens.

In coffee growing, the renovation of 5,400 blocks of crops is planned, and technical assistance will be improved through the Instituto Salvadoreño del Café, while livestock farmers will be supported with new milk processing plants and the improvement of existing ones, as well as with technology to guarantee and increase the production of dairy products.

With regard to aquaculture, MAG will restock all lakes and lagoons to conserve species and guarantee the sustainability of fish production and food for the population, which will be reinforced with the injection of technology to improve shrimp and tilapia reproduction.

Drones will be used to apply fungicides and insecticides to control crop pests more efficiently.

In addition, biological controls will be implemented to combat Schistocerca, a locust species that attacks basic grain plantations; 43 million parasitoids will be released to combat the fruit fly.