The President of the Republic, Carlos Alvarado, announced last July 24th, 2019, the start of operations of the 1st stage of the Regional Wholesale Market Chorotega, in which some 6,500 people who are producing in Guanacaste and Upala will market their products directly.
In the facilities of the supply center, in Sardinal de Carrillo, the president was accompanied by the First Lady, Claudia Dobles, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), Renato Alvarado, the Costa Rican country manager of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Mauricio Chacón, and the Manager of the Comprehensive Agricultural Marketing Program (PIMA), Gabriela Brenes.
The agribusinesses that start marketing are Coopac RL, Coopetranscañas RL, Coopelácteos del Norte Norte, Aprotila, Avizon, Ceproma La Palmera, Calvo Chickens, Asopaabi, Adapex, the Federation of Livestock Chambers of Guanacaste, and Soda Nuvia, with items produced and /or transformed locally or offered through one of them.
Together they will market dairy products, tilapia, shrimp, pork, chicken, lamb, eggs, rice, beans, vegetables, and transportation and food services.
The first buyer of the supply center is the National Production Council (CNP), which through the Institutional Supply Program (PAI), will place the products in school canteens, agencies of the Public Force, CEN-CINAI and prisons of the province of Guanacaste.
“As President of the Republic, I reaffirm my strong support for this mass-marketing model, financed by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) -US$ 52 million- which will allow thousands of organized producers to place their products without unnecessary intermediation with great benefits for the consumer”, stated the president.
He also expressed his support for territorial development so that the needs of the regions are resolved from the territories, taking into account their unique characteristics. “That is why I intend to generate employment opportunities and promote better living conditions where people live”.
For its part, the PIMA manager explained that “more than 40 years ago Costa Rica concentrated commercialization and distribution of agricultural and hydro-biological products at the wholesale level in the GAM. Today, the regionalization of these systems stands a threshold line by offering the country better channels and access, better services, and development opportunities in the regions”.
According to Minister Renato Alvarado, the start of operations of the supply center is a clear example of this administration’s effort to transform producer organizations into agribusiness. “We have seen, not only the agricultural sector but the entire body of institutions and the united national financial system, generating agro-business capacities in these organizations. And this is part of what we have to do for agriculture in this country”, he said.
Mauricio Chacón, Country Manager of BCIE, pointed out that: “As a development bank in the region and with a deep knowledge of the situations facing our countries and communities, CABEI is fully committed to continue strengthening its role as a strategic ally of the partner countries in the provision of financial solutions that contribute to the generation of employment and to increase the well-being and quality of life of its citizens”.
He added that “the Regional Wholesale Market of the Chorotega Region means a great boost to agricultural and fishery development, in addition to strengthening the necessary productive chains that promote the creation of new sources of work”.
The Chorotega Regional Wholesale Market is a 100% environmentally-friendly project. Within its structure, it includes solar panels to feed with renewable energy up to 35% of that required for the operation.
It also has a water treatment plant, natural ventilation, and carbon footprint reduction, because the agricultural items are produced and placed in the same province. It has a construction area of 50,855 square meters, which includes 2 warehouses or sheds, a refrigeration network that will offer its service through 7 chambers for product maintenance, and 2 freezing tunnels.
During the construction process, 750 jobs were generated. Additionally, other the generation of 150 direct jobs is projected in the first year of operation.
The market access road was finished
Complementary works of access to the wholesale supply center are 100% finished, Gabriela Brenes reported. According to the manager, it is a 2.1-kilometer road with 2 lanes and sidewalks, which was built by the company Volio y Trejos Asociados S.A., with financing from CABEI for US$ 1.7 million.