Producers and Technicians Learn Post-Harvest Handling Techniques

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Twenty-eight greenhouse vegetables producers in Constanza, Dominican Republic, along with technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Dominican Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Research (IDIAF), completed a course entitled "Development of Management Skill in Post-Harvest Handling of Greenhouse Vegetables for Export."  The course was implemented by the Farmer to Farmer Program with the support of the Cluster de Invernaderos (Greenhouse Cluster), the Universidad Interamericana (UNICA), the Ministry of Agriculture and the IDIAF.

During the graduation ceremony, the Director of the Farmer to Farmer Program in the DR, Dr. Rafael Ledesma, urged the graduates to use the knowledge they received because they know first hand that losses due to mishandling vegetables during post-harvest significantly reduce the quality and price of product in the markets, both local and export markets.

The Farmer to Farmer Program in the DR supports the development of the greenhouse sector as a means of improving the lives of small and medium-scale farmers. By providing technical assistance, producers can improve the quality and quantity of their products and can earn more income.
Presentation of a graduation certificate to a greenhouse producer. From left to right, Ing. Jose Rafael Espaillat from IDIAF; Dr. Rafael Ledesma, Director of the DR Farmer to Farmer Program; Javier Carrasco, Constanza producer; Dr. Oleg Daugovish, Farmer to Farmer volunteer; and Ing. Kalvin Bencosme, Farmer to Farmer Field Officer.

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