The Organic Production Updating Sessions were held for two days in the province of Misiones with great participation.

The conference began on Monday, May 2 in Santo Pipó, with an event held at the Alberto Roth Foundation. It was attended by authorities from the National Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Argentine Movement for Organic Production.

The days for organic production were organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Production with the collaboration of MAGYP and the Hora de Obrar Foundation. They were held to raise awareness about the current status and potential of this seal in regional crops. There, primary producers and certified yerba and tea processors shared their experiences with technicians and producers interested in the transition to certification. In turn, it was possible to collect the demands and needs.

Within the framework of the meeting of the Provincial Table of Organic Production, from the Undersecretariat of Plant Development and Production in charge of Luciana Imbrogno, this meeting was convened to carry out a diagnosis, evaluate the evolution of organic production in the province, and invite the private sector to the table, in order to initiate a work agenda for the sector, in coordination with national policies and experiences in other provinces.

In the field days, together with the producers, information was provided on the tools available to promote the sector and the current situation of organic production in the province and in the local, national and international markets. The vice president of MAPO, Mariana del Pino presented information on the opportunities and challenges of this sector.

One of the objectives of this meeting was to socialize the way of working for the National Strategic Plan for organic production 2030 to articulate strategies for growth, promotion and promotion of the organic sector. In this way, the Provincial Table will be able to work lines of promotion, collect information, generate training, technical assistance, as well as participate in decision-making at the national level.

On the second day of Tuesday, May 3, Ing. Facundo Soria and the teacher participated. Silvina Ferreyra, referents of the Organic Production Area of ​​the Value Added and Quality Management Directorate of MAGYP, who presented a guide so that the Provincial Table can develop and converge into a representative entity. Among other issues, the participants raised the need to train specialized technicians in organic production and access to authorized inputs to achieve the necessary certifications.

On the other hand, the strengths of Misiones for this sector were highlighted, such as the number of vertically integrated certified productions and the presence of associative entities that work with organic production.

Currently, Misiones has 40 certified establishments (3.2% of the country), whose main destination is export. This includes 14 yerba mate mills and 9 tea dryers. The certified area is 3,500 hectares, increasing by 15% in the last two years. 66% of yerba mate exports (140,532 Kg) mainly go to the United States (32%), Germany (27%) and the United Kingdom (9.6%). In the case of organic green tea, the main destination is the Netherlands and 30% is for domestic consumption.

Organic production is an added value and a differentiation tool that is in high demand in the country and in the world, achieving better prices for products; and in this context, the operation of the Provincial Board is essential, which will allow the sector to be promoted. The Ministry of Agriculture and Production is part of the National Advisory Commission together with public sector organizations (SENASA, INTA, INTI, CFI, provincial governments, universities, among others) and the PRIVATE SECTOR such as the Argentine Movement for organic production ( MAPO) and the Argentine chamber of certifiers, intervening in the tables of territorial development, communication, export and technology and innovation.

The province thus joins the actions of the Strategic Plan for Organic Production 2030 that formed the provincial table for organic production together with SENASA, INTA, INTI, the Ministries of Family Agriculture and Ecology and RNR, and the College of Agricultural Engineers of Missions.

Source: Misiones Online