Puerto Rico’s AgriBIZ business advisory and training program has helped farmers launch 80 agribusinesses, create 182 jobs and gain access to more than $3 million in capital since September 2022, the Puerto Rico Small Business & Technology Development Center announced.
The program, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has provided business consulting and technical assistance to 403 farmers across the island, while 1,117 farmers have participated in seminars. Of the capital reported, $281,400 came from federal and state grants.
“Since September 2022, this program has not only provided local producers with operational tools to transform their traditional farms into agricultural businesses but has also achieved a significant economic impact for the regions,” said Ivonne Negrón-Luciano, executive director of the Puerto Rico SBTDC.
Participants received assistance in business planning, legal structure, accounting, human resources, climate risk mitigation and digital marketing. Consultants and an agronomist also visited farms to provide specialized recommendations.
The SBTDC also announced Placita AgriBIZ, a virtual directory showcasing participating farms and their products, including coffee, cacao, bananas, plantains, coconuts, mangoes, avocados, poultry and ornamental plants.
“The AgriBIZ program has been a bridge for our farmers to stop being just producers and consolidate themselves as stable agricultural entrepreneurs,” Negrón-Luciano said.
The AgriBIZ Summit also included sessions on bona fide farmer certification, agribusiness law, payroll incentives and sustainable tourism.
The official Placita AgriBIZ directory is also live and lists participating agricultural businesses, their products and contact information.
Editor’s note: The Spanish version of this page was generated using machine translation and may contain errors. For the most accurate information, please refer to the original English version.
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