Improve Nicaraguan Farmers Nutrition & Incomes

Adán has been a farmer for 45 years.  He lives in the community of La Pedrera, Nicaragua.  He owns 3.5 acres of land, of which he uses 2.6 acres for raising cattle and the rest for growing crops.  He likes growing crops very much, so he can grow the corn and beans that his family needs all year round.  He does not have much time to dedicate to farming because he is also a cabinetmaker.  He has a workshop in his house where he makes metal furniture lined with reeds and wood.  This furniture is marketed in his community and surrounding communities.

Joining Self-Help International

Adán told us, "Although I have a steady job at home, I still produce corn and beans.  Being a farmer is an honor and often these products are scarce in the market.  I knew that Self-Help International had a farmer program, because the technician came to our community to promote it.  Some farmers have become part of the program.  In my case, when the technician visited me and asked me to be part of the program, I told him that I did not have enough land to be in it, but he told me that he approached me for that reason. With the technology that they promote, better yields can be obtained even on small areas of land.  Small farmers can harvest enough crops to meet the needs of their families plus sell some to pay the production expenses.  Even so, I was not interested in being part of the program at that time.  

It was not until about a year ago that two other farmers from the community and I decided to try the INTA – Nutrader corn variety that Self-Help promotes.  Once we received the training, SHI donated four pounds of seed corn to each of us.  We proceeded to plant it, except by this time one of the three decided to emigrate to another country and returned the seed that he had received.  I decided to plant it together with the four pounds of my own.  I want to clarify that my land is not very good for crops.  Before I bought it, it was used only for livestock pasture.  It has very compacted soil without many nutrients.   Even so, I said to myself, I can't afford to rent another piece of land for so little seed. On the contrary, with this seed from Self-Help, I said ‘I am going to plant it and with the hand of God I am going to harvest something.’   They told me that it would give good results regardless of the terrain or pests or weather conditions.  In the end I tried it as an experiment, and said maybe I will be able to harvest more than 8 pounds, then I can rent a larger area next time.”

Good Results

Adán continued, “It's strange to say it, but I felt that the seed was not going to give good results.  First, because of the conditions of my land, and, second, because I saw the characteristics of the seed.  The kernels were very small. Imagine my surprise at the time the corn produced ears and when I harvested it, the results were excellent, even though the climatic conditions were not ideal.  It was a very rainy year, but the corn resisted pests, diseases and intense rains. Other varieties of corn died from so much rain and pests.  Some rotted and the grain could not even be saved for seed. On the other hand, I was proud of my INTA-Nutrader corn variety, because from the 8 pounds that I planted I harvested 32 bushels of dry corn.  We also ate some of the immature corn, which was sweet, nothing like the other corn we were used to eating. “   

“Before growing the INTA-Nutrader corn variety, my whole family and I consumed native corn varieties that were good, but they do not compare to INTA- Nutrader.  We have already decided to eat only this corn and stop using the other varieties for family consumption.  From the harvest I selected 25 pounds to use as seed for the next planting season.   I gave five bushels to my father for his needs and the rest we saved for family consumption and feed for our animals. “

“I also observed that by feeding this corn to our hens it accelerated their laying and they gained more weight.  That way I saved the expense of buying concentrates and yellow corn; now we give them only INTA-Nutrader corn.”

Adán concluded, “Thanks to this corn, I have improved our family’s diet, secured my seed for future plantings, and supported other farmers by providing them with seed to obtain better yields and quality feed.  We are not a large group of farmers in this community, but we urge others to be part of the Self Help-International program in order to improve their lives. “

“I thank the donors and urge them to continue supporting small farmers so we can improve our crops and gain from the training Self-Help gives us. Now I know that the new variety is of high quality and tasty, and I can assure the other producers in my community that it deserves to be planted so they can ensure food for their own consumption. “