Tello bets on the new generations to reclaim its banana crown with the support of AGROSAVIA

• The commitment is clear: to inspire young people to settle down in their territory so that they can be the architects of their own future.

In the north of the department of Huila, where the climate paints sunny and misty days, Tello unfolds. More than a simple municipality, it is a vast mosaic of green hues, the agricultural heart that beats to the rhythm of the harvest and proudly proclaims itself, with a well-earned merit, as the leading banana producer in the region. Its fertile vocation and privileged location have forged its destiny as an undeniable reference in the production of this tropical fruit. Every bunch that leaves its fields is a seed of progress that germinates in the local economy and is exported as an essential flavor for the world.

With this identity forged through effort, Tello, “the undisputed banana king of Huila,” now lays the foundations of its future in the land use it knows best: agriculture. A bet that promises to perpetuate its legend of abundance and production with the new rural youth strength.

To this beautiful territory of exuberant landscapes and paths that hold the dust of centuries of farming, a wind of change appeared. It was not a savior with preconceived solutions, but an ally who arrived with the humility of one who learns and the wisdom of one who sows for the future: Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria - AGROSAVIA, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Thus, through its “National Strategy for Rural Youth,” a map of strengths and dreams was woven at Institución Educativa Rural Nicolás García Bahamón. Guided by the land-as-a-compass vocation, the AGROSAVIA team undertook the transformation of the agricultural heart: it gave life to the Gros Michel Banana Propagation Hub, a complete ecosystem designed to turn the institution into a benchmark for seed production with quality attributes. Joining this cause as a strategic partner was the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA, for its Spanish acronym), which, from its mission of sanitary surveillance and control, has accompanied the process to ensure the hub’s success and provide certified seed to the region.

This hub of life includes a propagation tunnel, a nursery, a mother garden, and an intensive multiplication garden, all interconnected. Complementarily, we revitalized the space of the Home Garden for the production of aromatic plants and vegetables, and we integrated a modern vermicomposting system to close the nutrient cycle. Both environments are equipped with micro-sprinklers and drip irrigation; a fundamental base so that all this production becomes the raw material for the institution’s processing plant. In this way, we close the perfect circle of self-sufficiency.

On the livestock front, we revolutionized the cattle-raising environment. We implemented silvopastoral systems and a forage bank for sustainable animal feeding, and we equipped students with an artificial insemination kit, a key tool to adopt the best practices in bovine genetics and reproduction. This comprehensive process not only improves current conditions but also sets a new standard of excellence for local livestock production.

On this journey to revitalize the countryside, we did not walk alone. A strategic ally emerged, a visionary who shares our conviction: Mayor Fernando Alipio Solano Gómez. With determination, he joined his strength to ours to forge a common purpose: that the new generations rediscover the countryside with a renewed vision, full of hope and opportunity. His commitment is clear: to inspire young people to settle down in their territory, to be the architects of their own future, and to build, with their own hands, the paths that lead to a more prosperous and sustainable community.

This vast banana-growing region, once overshadowed by the ghost of a disease that devastated its green gold, now envisions a different dawn. AGROSAVIA, like an army of science and hope, arrived to restore its crown. Not to look to the past with nostalgia, but to write a new legend around the Gros Michel banana. Thus, with the hands of these young people who now see the countryside with pioneer eyes, what is being sown is not only bananas, but the future of a land that refuses to die.