Implementing protected agriculture in tomato, bell peppers, and colored chili peppers Protected Agricultural Production of Vegetables 4 | The story behind the numbers This publication is the product of a participatory capitalization process facilitated by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) for the Program for Rural Enterprise Management, Health, and the Environment (PROGRESA, its Spanish acronym) Coordinator: Santos Palma Munguia, CRS Facilitators and Editors: Érika Eliana Mosquera, CIAT Jhon Jairo Hurtado Bermúdez, CIATl Translation: Andrea Maldonado Production Edition: Bill Hardy Design and Layout: Carlos Andrés Polo, CIAT Daniel Gutiérrez, CIAT Eng. Jaime Martín Gutiérrez Montenegro, Cooperativa La Unión Eng. Santiago Benavidez Fuentes, Cáritas Matagalpa Eng. Rodolfo Valdivia Lorente, CRS Nicaragua, 2015 Implementing protected agriculture in tomato, bell peppers, and colored chili peppers Protected Agricultural Production of Vegetables 4Protected agricultural production of vegetables Implementing protected agriculture in tomato, bell peppers, and colored chili peppers Case profile The Program for Rural Enterprise Management, Health, and the Environment (PROGRESA, its Spanish acronym) began activities in northern Nicaragua in February 2013, with the objective of strengthening value chains of dual-purpose cattle, beans, and vegetables and fruits. This project is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and implemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and eight partner organizations – Cáritas Matagalpa, Cáritas Estelí, the Nicaraguan Association for Social Development (ASDENIC, its Spanish acronym), the Foundation for Research and Rural Development (FIDER, its Spanish acronym), the Association for Community Agricultural Diversification and Development (ADDAC, its Spanish acronym), the National Livestock Commission (CONAGAN, its Spanish acronym), the Institute for Human Promotion (INPRHU, its Spanish acronym), and La Unión Multi-service Cooperative LLC – in the departments of Jinotega, Madriz, Matagalpa, and Nueva Segovia. As part of the search for economic alternatives and the diversification of agricultural production for small farmers in northern Nicaragua, PROGRESA has joined efforts with its partners La Unión Multi-service Cooperative LLC, Cáritas Matagalpa, and FIDER to implement alternatives of protected agriculture. The positive experiences of other countries in the application of protected agriculture caught the attention of PROGRESA, leading the program to consider it as a viable option to implement in the areas where it operates and subsequently decide to support producers in the validation of this technology. The outcome was highly favorable and producers began to implement protected agriculture systems such as macro- and mega-tunnels, increasing crop yields and generating products that meet Nicaragua’s food safety and quality standards for formal markets. The implementation of protected agriculture in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) has helped reduce crop production costs in the medium term, while increasing crop productivity, which translates into higher income for producers. The reduced use of agrochemicals in these environmentally friendly production systems decreases the contamination of water sources and soils. The risk of farm workers suffering intoxication also decreases and consumers have access to product that complies with food safety standards. Bell pepper production with mega-tunnels. Community of Las Delicias, located in the municipality of Ciudad Darío. 5 The story behind the numbers Impact Statistics • 3.82 hectares of tomato and bell pepper grown in macro- tunnels. • 1,608 plastic net bags of bell peppers, each bag weighing 12 kg more than with the conventional system. • 1,846 crates of tomato, each crate weighing 25 kg more than with the conventional system. • 0.8 hectare planted to colored chili peppers, native and improved bell peppers, and table tomato. • 121 producers participating in the initiative. • Income of US$43,055 per hectare of micro-tunnel- grown tomato and US$27,132 per hectare of micro-tunnel- grown bell peppers. • Income of US$48,704 per hectare of mega-tunnel- grown bell peppers and US$132,352 per hectare of mega-tunnel-grown colored chili peppers. • 157 direct jobs. • 700 indirect jobs. • 86,400 units of colored chili peppers sold on the formal and informal markets, generating an income of US$31,764. • 2,445 plastic net bags of bell peppers, each bag weighing 12 kg, sold on the formal and informal markets, generating an income of US$26,966. • 7,000 crates of tomato, each crate weighing 25 kg, sold on the informal market and generating an income of US$39,622. 1 Local producers’ adaptation of micro-tunnels using wood instead of galvanized wire to form a small triangular structure, explaining its popular name of “Chinese house,” which is covered with special fabric such as Agribon to protect vegetables during a period of 40–45 days. 2 The Standard Dimension Ratio (SDR) is the ratio of plastic or PVC pipe diameter to pipe wall thickness and is used to rate pipe resistance to pressure. 3 The number of interwoven threads in 1 square inch of fabric. Although other forms of protected agriculture exist such as micro-tunnels and “casas chinas”1 that keep crops protected for part of the growing season, PROGRESA, together with the producers participating in the initiative, decided to choose technologies that protected crops for a longer period of time or throughout the entire crop cycle: macro- tunnels and mega-tunnels. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes SDR17,2 6 m long and 2.5 cm in diameter, were used to build arched macro- tunnels. Arches were spaced 3 m from each other, creating a tunnel 3.7 m wide, maximum 2 m in height. The entire structure was covered with synthetic fabric 6.4 m wide. Three rows of either tomato or bell peppers can be planted inside the macro-tunnel, which offers the crop protection for 50 – 60 days, thus mitigating the adverse effects of vector-borne diseases. Yields of 2,460 plastic net bags of bell peppers and 3,346 crates of tomato, each crate weighing 25 kg, were obtained with this system, which translated into gross income of US$27,132 on bell peppers and US$43,055 on tomato. Mega-tunnels, 25 m long, were built with 2.5-cm galvanized pipe, plate no. 16, forming 14-m arches, spaced 3 m apart, that were secured with 14 no. 12 galvanized wire ropes. This structure is covered with a 50-mesh3 anti-insect netting attached to the ground at its lower extremes. After being built, the mega-tunnel was 11 m wide and capable of accommodating eight beds of bell peppers or colored chili peppers, placed in double rows. Yields have increased up to 3,563 more plastic net bags of bell peppers when this system is used compared with the conventional system and, in the case of colored chili peppers, yields of 360,000 units per hectare have been obtained. This document aims to share the results of an initiative of PROGRESA that addressed the implementation of farming systems based on macro- and mega-tunnels to produce vegetables for both selective and local markets. 6Protected agricultural production of vegetables Initial situation Before the project began, vegetable producers in the departments of Jinotega and Matagalpa, who were also PROGRESA beneficiaries, were engaged in extensive vegetable production, which consisted of establishing crops in open fields without taking into account soil and water conservation practices. Bell pepper and tomato crops were established without protection and hoses or flooding were used to irrigate crops, which resulted in the irrational use of water resources and increased the damage caused by fungi and bacteria due to high humidity and splattering. Subsequently, different agrochemicals were applied indiscriminately and, as a result, important crop pests began to show increasing resistance to pesticides to the point that pests were increasingly difficult to control with each crop that was established. Hence, the need arose to establish crops in new areas to ensure acceptable production. As a result, the agricultural frontier was expanded and the clearing of forest lands increased, significantly reducing the volume of flow of water sources and contributing to global warming, which, in turn, has triggered climate change, a now well-known phenomenon that has caused the incidence of pests and diseases to rise. In certain areas, some vegetable production farms had not taken any actions to preserve their soil and water resources. However, in the area under the umbrella of La Unión Multi-service Cooperative LLC, FIDER, and Cáritas Matagalpa, specifically with partners of the Sacaclí Cooperative and the Agricultural Cooperative of Vegetable Production (COPRAHOR, its Spanish acronym), drip irrigation systems had been introduced as part of the support offered by projects prior to PROGRESA in response to the need to optimize water use since these producers were located in dry areas of the departments of Jinotega and Matagalpa. Vegetable producers had the opportunity to evaluate, test, and then adopt drip irrigation technology, with positive impacts such as a reduced need for labor for irrigation, fertilization, and weed control; higher crop yields than with conventional systems; and longer plant production cycles. First experiences with protected agriculture The economic losses caused by low crop yields and poor - quality products forced vegetable producers to seek crop protection technologies that could particularly help them in the difficult task of controlling pest vectors of viral and bacterial diseases usually transmitted by the whitefly (Bemicia tabaci) and the tomato/potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli). Producers accordingly began to use technologies such as micro-tunnels and chinese houses. Micro-tunnels were built using gauge no. 8 galvanized wire rings, 2 m long, to form an arch over the furrow. The rings were spaced 3 m apart and fastened together with three nylon strings. Subsequently, the wire rings were attached to 2-m-long wooden stakes, and this structure was covered with Agribon fabric, 1.8 m wide, attached to the ground at its extremes. This system protects the crop for 30–40 days. Plot owned by Marcial Castro, producer from the community of Santa Bárbara, located in Jinotega. 7 The story behind the numbers The chinese houses on the other hand, uses non- woven synthetic fabric, 1.3 m wide, to cover both sides of the furrow. The fabric is attached to 1.6-m-long stakes using nylon rope. Once the fabric is removed, the stakes are later used as trellises. This system protects plants for 35–45 days. These systems were implemented on farms of 33 vegetable producers of Matagalpa and 14 of Jinotega, with acceptable results in terms of reduced pest incidence and higher yield than with the traditional system. In addition, soils were covered with a plastic mulch4 to control weeds inside the structure and thus avoid having to cover and uncover the crop. This minimizes the entry of insects and the spread of insect- transmitted diseases. Formal markets demand high- quality products and this played a decisive role in the adoption of mulch in micro-tunnels and/or chinese houses by producers. Both systems proved essential to satisfying this market requirement. Several factors, however, made it difficult for many producers to apply this technology, such as a 1. Lack of economic capital for investment due to difficulties in accessing credit through cooperatives and financial entities. Producers consider that the investment in these systems is higher than in traditional systems, which ultimately discourages them. 2. Lack of operational and accounting records in traditional farming systems that could generate information on approximate production costs. 3. Lack of technical know-how in organizations and producers to efficiently implement the technology. Socio-organizational processes Organizationally, producers are members of established cooperatives such as Sacaclí, COPRAHOR, the Ecovegetales Multi-service Cooperative of Nicaragua LLC (Ecovegetales for short), and the Multi-Service Producers’ Cooperative of Jinotega (COOSMPROJIN, its Spanish acronym). Of these, COPRAHOR and COOSMPROJIN already had commercial relationships in place with formal markets such as La Colonia and Walmart supermarket chains. These cooperatives handled detailed information on producer groups and volumes of product they could 4 Gray-colored polyethylene plastic sheeting used as soil cover. harvest and offer on the market. This information not only helped in decision-making processes regarding improvement but also served as a basis to decide whether producers would receive funding to implement technologies aiming to increase crop productivity. On the other hand, although little information was available on small-scale protected agriculture, the implementation of the system in small areas evidenced that production did increase compared with the traditional system and product quality also improved, which was a decisive factor in the decision to continue to establish the system in other areas with other producers. The Alliance to Create Opportunities for Rural Development through Agro-enterprise Relationships (ACORDAR), launched in 2007 and ending in 2012, served as a platform to encourage producers in the areas of Matagalpa and Jinotega, who were members of COPRAHOR, Ecovegetales, and COOSMPROJIN and are currently served by FIDER and Cáritas Matagalpa, to implement Good Agricultural Practices on their farms to produce vegetables. The outcome was the production of a safe product that could compete in formal markets demanding the highest standards of quality. Of these producer organizations, COPRAHOR was the only cooperative with a vegetable washing and packing center, providing buyers with a clean product and, as a result, fetching a higher market price as this cooperative already had commercial relationships with the formal market. On the other hand, although producers of the Sacaclí Cooperative used these technologies, their produce was always for the informal market – a limitation in terms of the cost-benefit ratio as products were sold at the same price as traditionally grown products. The private sector has made no investments in specialized services aiming to improve vegetable value chains in these areas. The sector has only offered to pay more for products than the local market, but the products must comply with higher standards of quality as well as undergo certain cleaning and packaging processes. 8Protected agricultural production of vegetables Plot owned by Marcial Castro, producer from the community of Santa Bárbara, located in Jinotega. 9 The story behind the numbers Implementing the initiative To launch the implementation of protected agriculture systems, technical advisers, field technicians, and producers under the umbrellas of Cáritas Matagalpa, La Unión Multi-service Cooperative LLC, and FIDER participated in experience-sharing events held in 2013 in Honduras in the department of Comayagua and in Nicaragua in the municipality of Somoto, department of Madriz, so they could better understand the technology for subsequent implementation. After attending these events, producers expressed the need for technical support to implement the technology on their farms. Although PROGRESA had not included this activity in its annual operational plan, it was included in view of producers’ needs. Therefore, protected agriculture systems began to be implemented in the form of macro- and mega- tunnels in early 2014. Establishing macro-tunnels The PROGRESA program decided to support 14 producers of La Unión Multi-service Cooperative LLC in the implementation of macro-tunnels for growing tomatoes in an area of 2.64 hectares (14 plots of 0.17 hectare each) and one producer of FIDER to grow colored chili peppers of 0.18 hectare. PROGRESA financed 50% of the costs and each producer the remaining 50%. Producers were selected based on whether they were implementing GAPs on their farms, were available to participate in training and experience-exchanging events, and could qualify for credit in beneficiary cooperatives. Plants of tomato varieties Shanty, Phony, Azera 3057, and Chisthy were established at a rate of 3,000 plants per plot. Initially, the goal was to keep the tomato plants in the macro-tunnel for as long as possible; however, the plants presented rapid vegetative growth and strong winds damaged the synthetic fabric covering the structure because of the lack of well - established hedgerows that would have helped reduce wind speed. As a result, the plants were kept in the macro-tunnel only up to 50 days after transplanting. In the case of bell peppers, variety Nathalie was used. Drought strongly affected vegetative development and fruit set, reducing the flow of water sources and, as a result, the crops did not receive the amount of water they needed, thus affecting yields. Meanwhile, the producer supported by FIDER installed macro-tunnels on 0.18 ha to grow colored chili peppers; 5,500 plants were established. This facility was used to train other producers in farmer field schools (FFSs), where the performance of varieties grown in macro-tunnels in this area was evaluated. One line of jalapeño chili pepper, El Rey, was established along with eight lines of colored chili pepper: B1138, B1139, B1140, B1141, B1142, B1143, B1144, and B1145. Establishing mega-tunnels A macro-tunnel donated by PROGRESA was established on a 0.18-ha plot in collaboration with Cáritas Matagalpa. The technology was evaluated using the FFS approach. However, the synthetic Bell pepper production with mega-tunnels. Carlos González, producer from the community of Las Delicias, located in the municipality of Ciudad Darío. 10Protected agricultural production of vegetables fabric covering the structure was torn by the strong winds. Cáritas accordingly decided to support 30 producers in implementing mega-tunnels on an equal number of plots, each measuring 265 square meters, for a total area of 0.8 ha of colored chili peppers and bell pepper variety Nathalie. Meetings were held with the steering committees of participating cooperatives to define the selection criteria for beneficiary producers. These criteria were the following: active participation in PROGRESA, currently growing crops on their farms, and implementation of GAPs for farm certification. A total of 8,640 plants of colored chili peppers were established in small areas using this mega-tunnel system. Staggered planting was possible due to the organization of producers and defined by the amount of product required by the formal market. Colored chili pepper varieties planted were Kavery (red-colored), Consul (yellow-colored), and Glory (orange-colored). A total of 7,560 plants of bell pepper variety Nathalie were established. Drip irrigation was used in both protected agriculture systems and, as a result, water-use efficiency was improved as this type of irrigation supplies only the water that the plants need. Because the water is released slowly in this system, it infiltrates the soil more easily and moisture remains longer on the ground. In addition, plastic mulch was used to control weeds and prevent fruits from having direct contact with the ground. Harvesting and commercialization Tomato crops grown in macro-tunnels were only partially harvested because of the poor quality of the product and the resulting low prices obtained, attributable to the limited time the crop was protected due to the ripping of the synthetic fabric. In the case of bell peppers grown in macro-tunnels, the crops were completely harvested but sold on the informal market. Only 4,600 units were sold on the formal market to “Las Segovias” Supermarket and Integrated Meat Industries of Nicaragua SA (ICISA, its Spanish acronym). Crops of bell pepper variety Nathalie and colored chili peppers grown by producers of Cáritas Matagalpa in mega-tunnels and by producers of FIDER in micro-tunnels were harvested and sold on the formal market. Both groups of producers had commercial relationships with markets that demanded certain quality standards in terms of sorting, grading, and packaging, but that also paid differential prices for the products. The harvest was performed manually, with farm workers selecting produce complying with desired market size and color. Harvest produce was deposited in plastic crates and transported to collection centers for sorting, cleaning, and packing for subsequent delivery to the different fresh markets. The marketing of colored chili peppers as well as bell peppers grown in macro- and mega-tunnels was oriented to satisfying the demand of formal markets such as La Colonia and Walmart supermarket chains that purchase produce at excellent prices, ranging from US$0.36 to $0.73 per unit for colored chili peppers and from US$0.18 to $0.36 per unit for bell peppers. Participants, their roles, and other decisive factors Several actors were involved in this initiative, as follows: 1. Producers, who applied the technology on their farms. 2. Technical teams of PROGRESA, who provided technical assistance. 3. Commercial companies, which provided technological assistance. 4. COPRAHOR, COOSMPROJIN, and Sacaclí cooperatives, which provided producers with financial aid to establish protected agriculture systems and grow selected crops (tomato, bell peppers, colored chili peppers). Funding was crucial for technology implementation because the cooperatives were unaware of infrastructure costs and how these would increase crop production costs. Producers were also concerned whether • The technology would work in the area where they grew their crops. • Crops established using this technology would be profitable. • Yields would increase considerably compared with those of the conventional system. • The technology would have a positive effect on pest management and reduce pesticide applications. On the other hand, the lack of qualified local service providers was a major constraint to technology implementation. For mega-tunnels, it was difficult to find people trained in metallurgy that could 11 The story behind the numbers manufacture the metal structure that these tunnels required. Someone finally expressed interest in manufacturing the arches, which were installed and found to work. Key factors that pushed forward the implementation of these technologies were the enthusiasm shown by producers, the need to counter the effects of disease vectors, market opportunities, and the support provided by PROGRESA. Douglas Flores, producer from the community of Las Delicias, located in the municipality of Ciudad Darío. 12Protected agricultural production of vegetables Current situation The project continues to work with 30 producers under the umbrella of Cáritas in the area of Matagalpa, who are implementing mega-tunnel technology in colored chili pepper and bell pepper crops for sale on the formal market. Likewise, 23 producers of La Unión Multi-service Cooperative LLC in Jinotega implemented the macro-tunnel system in bell pepper and tomato crops for sale on the informal market. So far, crop productivity has increased. Traditionally grown tomato crops yield 1,000 to 1,500 crates per hectare, while tomato grown in macro-tunnels yields 3,346 crates per hectare. Bell peppers grown in macro-tunnels yield 2,460 plastic net bags per hectare, while only 852 net bags are obtained, on average, in the traditional system. Harvest data for crops grown in mega-tunnels by producers under the umbrella of Cáritas Matagalpa were 10 fruits per plant for colored chili peppers and 25 fruits per plant for bell pepper variety Nathalie, which translated into yields of 86,400 units of colored chili pepper on 0.25 ha and 1,890 plastic net bags of bell peppers, each crate used to gather the produce containing 200 units, on 0.21 ha. Producers have adopted the use of macro-tunnels to grow tomatoes and bell peppers. Two hectares have already been planted to bell peppers, financed completly by one producer, and 0.12 hectare has been planted to tomato, also financed completely by another producer. Both producers are beneficiaries of PROGRESA through La Union Multi-service Cooperative LLC. Harvest and sales data reported during the execution of PROGRESA indicated that technology implementation benefited producers the most as they directly received income from the sale of quality products. For bell peppers grown in macro-tunnels, producers received US$17,735 more per hectare than when bell peppers were grown the conventional way. When the crops were grown in mega-tunnels, producers received US$39,307 more than with the conventional system because produce from the mega-tunnels is destined for formal markets. Consumers also benefit because they can obtain quality foods for fresh consumption that are safer from the food safety viewpoint. The following production constraints were identified during technology implementation: • Drought limited yields for tomato because all producers using macro-tunnels obtained water from hand-drilled wells, which have a reduced flow. Therefore, the amount of water supplied to the crop was not enough to satisfy plant requirements, especially during the stages of flowering and fruit set. Rotting occurred at the base of the fruit, locally called black “culillo” or extremes, attributed to the reduced mobility of calcium in the plant due to lower availability of water in the soil. The plants could not obtain the amount of calcium required to produce uniform, good-sized fruits. Producer of the community of Carreta Quebrada, located in Sébaco. 13 The story behind the numbers • Low tomato prices at harvest translated into lower income-returns. The crate of tomato was priced at US$17 when the crop was initially planted. However, this favorable price led many producers, who were not beneficiaries of PROGRESA, to also plant large areas to tomato in the humid and semi- humid areas of Jinotega, where climatic conditions favor the cultivation of this crop. The resulting overproduction caused the price of a crate of tomato to fall to US$2.56. • For colored chili peppers grown by FIDER producers, the formal market had initially agreed to purchase the entire production, but ultimately purchased only 60%, generating losses of 40% of the product that could have been placed on the informal market. Issues contributing to the advance of results were as follows: • Reduced use of agrochemicals, which in turn decreased production costs and allowed a healthier product to be obtained. • PROGRESA financed 50% of the costs of installing macro- and mega-tunnels. • The cooperatives are providing producers with convenient financial services, financing crops and infrastructure, with annual interest rates ranging from 18% to 22%. In addition, farmers can obtain pesticides and fertilizers as part of the agricultural services offered by cooperatives through a line of credit, which is paid once the crop has been harvested. • PROGRESA and participating cooperatives have destined staff to provide technical assistance to producers, free-of-charge, to ensure a permanent and staggered production that meets the needs of both formal and informal markets. • Using a drip irrigation system not only facilitates tasks related to irrigation, fertilization, and weed control, but also contributes to the rational use of water. Additional benefits and outcomes With the implementation of protected agriculture technology, cooperatives have gained more confidence in offering products and services to their members because they have assessed the income- return of these systems and observed the increase in crop productivity. Another important aspect is that they now have connections with formal markets, such as Walmart, that demand quality products that can be obtained using protected agriculture systems. In the case of Cáritas Matagalpa and FIDER, producers are now able to meet market requirements because they have increased crop production per area (less area under cultivation with a higher volume of production) so they are continuously selling produce to these markets. On the other hand, given the proven capacity of producers to offer products on a permanent basis, markets are now more confident in establishing commercial relationships with them and giving them a good price for their products, which translates into higher income for producers: US$10,422 per crop cycle for bell peppers and US$35,208 per crop cycle for colored chili peppers. GAPs are closely linked with protected vegetable production. Products from farms applying GAPs are more likely to be positioned in differential markets because of their quality and because they are safe to consume. In addition, farm logbooks allow buyers to obtain detailed information on all farm-related activities or applications of agrochemicals to the crop, thus increasing the credibility of product quality. This is why protected agriculture and GAPs must go hand in hand for products to be able to compete in formal markets. PROGRESA also promoted product certification among producers, seeking compliance with national standards so that products on offer complied with food safety norms and could be considered safe for human consumption, while emphasizing the protection of natural resources and the health of farm workers. More details about GAPs are given in the pertinent report on this topic. Additionally, access to market information has improved. Cooperatives keep producers informed about prices and market trends so they can make informed decisions when marketing their products. Producers and cooperative managers can obtain market information by participating on national vegetable commissions such as the commission of the Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua (APEN, its Spanish acronym) and the National Vegetable Commission (promoted by several production cooperatives in Nicaragua). Meetings are held to share information on prices, regulate imports, and propose alternatives to maintain prices that allow producers to receive important income-returns for their produce. 14Protected agricultural production of vegetables Vegetables and fruits with GAP certification, promotion fair held in Multicentro Las Américas, located in Managua. 15 The story behind the numbers Lessons learned • One unforeseen difficulty that arose during the implementation of the initiative was the disposal of materials used to build the macro- and mega- tunnels such as synthetic fabric, drip tape, string to secure plants, agrochemical containers, and plastic tubes used for frames. Future projects using these technologies must devise a disposal plan for these waste materials. • Rings, spaced every 6 m, were used to reinforce mega-tunnel arches; however, because the frame itself was not too strong, once the synthetic fabric was installed, the frame became even more unstable and rubbed against plants in furrows closer to the extremes of the arches. Both producers and technicians participating in this experience recommend that, in the future, these arches be reinforced every 3 m. • To ensure the continuity and expansion of new crop areas using protected agriculture systems, it is essential that producers continue to have the financial support of cooperatives. • The timely establishment of hedgerows is important to ensure macro-tunnel stability. Winds caused considerable damage to the synthetic fabric used to cover the macro-tunnel structure, reducing the time that the crop was protected. Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) had been established as a hedgerow, but, because it was planted when the macro-tunnel was built, its low height offered little protection to the crop. In the future, sorghum hedgerows should be planted at least 40 days in advance. Other fast-growing options are a type of photoperiod-sensitive sorghum called “millón,” elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), and maize (Zea mays). • Stakes, 1.5 m long, were used in bell pepper and tomato crops, placed 15 days after transplanting. However, stakes placed in lateral furrows rubbed against the synthetic fabric covering the structure, tearing it. In the future, staking should be performed in three stages: first, using a 60-cm- long stake, then a 1-m-long stake, and finally, when the fabric is removed, a 1.5-m-long stake. This avoids tearing the fabric and grants the crop protection for at least 50 to 60 days. • Staggered planting of crops is recommended to guarantee a continuous offer to markets and avoid overproduction. This guarantees that products will be sold. • Good agronomic management is required to maintain product quality for bell peppers and colored chili peppers. This includes the use of cultural practices such as thinning of non- commercial fruits (removal of small or malformed fruits) to make sure that well-formed fruits reach an acceptable size that meets the quality standards of buyers, thus reducing the amount of rejected produce. • Because of the history of variability in prices paid for vegetables in Nicaragua, it is important for producers to diversify their production to obtain income from a range of different products. Producer receiving technical assistance from Cáritas Matagalpa staff. 16Protected agricultural production of vegetables • FFSs and Local Agricultural Research Committees are fundamental to maximizing the coverage given by the technical team in activities such as training, technical assistance, and technology transfer. In addition, space where groups of producers can exchange experiences should be promoted, as well as other activities such as farm visits. These types of events both motivate and empower producers to implement protected agriculture initiatives. Santa del Carmen, producer who recycles plastic wastes in macro-tunnels for vegetable production. 17 The story behind the numbers