New community nursery strengthens cacao production in Rionegro with the support of KoLFACI and AGROSAVIA

Rionegro, Santander. August 21, 2026. In Rionegro, Santander, agricultural research is taking another step toward the field with the establishment of a community nursery to produce cacao planting material, developed in partnership with the Rionegrana Association of Agricultural and Environmental Producers (AGROVIVE).

The initiative is part of a Latin American project funded by KoLFACI and coordinated by CATIE, with the participation of AGROSAVIA's La Suiza Research and Technology Transfer Center. Its purpose is to bring research, innovation, and technology transfer closer to small- and medium-scale cacao producers, generating tools that strengthen cacao production in the region.

More than simply infrastructure for plant propagation, the nursery will serve as a space for learning and knowledge exchange. There, producers will be able to strengthen their skills in propagating planting material, crop management, and plantation establishment, with an emphasis on the availability of materials that meet genetic, physiological, and phytosanitary quality criteria.

 

Quality Planting Material for a More Competitive Cacao Sector

Having reliable planting material is a key component in the renewal and rehabilitation of plantations, as well as in the establishment of new productive areas. In this regard, AGROSAVIA has been strengthening its capabilities to facilitate producers' access to technologies and materials that contribute to a more productive, profitable, and sustainable cacao sector.

The nursery will be used to propagate cacao materials of interest to the productive sector, including TCS 01, TCS 06, TCS 13, and TCS 19, developed by AGROSAVIA, as well as other materials available to producers.

"This facility, which supports AGROVIVE, an association of cacao growers in the municipality of Rionegro, Santander, is essential for strengthening the cacao production system through the availability of high-quality planting material. However, this project goes beyond infrastructure, as it also includes training processes aimed at producers and students from Llano de Palmas School. In this way, we contribute to strengthening their knowledge and capacities related to cacao cultivation. The project is funded by KoLFACI, a cooperation agency of the Government of Korea, and coordinated by CATIE in Costa Rica," highlighted researcher Yeirme Jaimes, Project Leader.

The nursery's commissioning was accompanied by a training session for AGROVIVE producers and students from Llano de Palmas School, J Campus, located in the San José de Arévalo rural area. The meeting helped strengthen the link between research, education, and agricultural production, promoting knowledge exchange among different members of the community.

During the session, topics related to the prevention and management of pests and diseases were addressed under Climate-Smart Agriculture approaches. Research advances were also presented on one of the challenges currently facing the cacao sector: managing and mitigating cadmium in cacao cultivation.

 

A Partnership that Creates Opportunities for Rural Communities

This initiative was made possible through joint efforts among AGROSAVIA, AGROVIVE, KoLFACI, CATIE, and local community stakeholders. For Guillermo Reyes, legal representative of AGROVIVE, this collaboration represents an opportunity to advance member families' production processes.

"On behalf of the members of AGROVIVE, we express our sincere gratitude for the work being carried out together with AGROSAVIA. The establishment of the nursery, along with the training workshops, represents a major step forward for our production processes and the subsequent transformation of differentiated cacao beans. This initiative will benefit the 80 families that make up our association, as well as the region's rural community. We welcome this important facility with joy and hope," said Reyes.

Carmen Pérez also supported this effort by contributing to the establishment of the nursery, making it possible to have a space dedicated to propagation and training activities.

The commissioning of this infrastructure marks the beginning of an ongoing support process that will continue through AGROSAVIA's technology transfer strategies. Producers, technical advisors, extension agents, and students will be able to participate in new training activities and learn about the Technology Offerings available to the cacao sector.

In this way, collaboration among science, producers, and the community seeks to build capacities that remain in the territory and contribute to developing a more competitive and sustainable cacao sector, better prepared to face future challenges.

Bringing science to the field does not simply mean delivering technology: it means building capacities, creating opportunities, and developing solutions together with those who produce.