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Agriculture and Fisheries
The sugar association is a non-profit union founded
in 1949 to help members find opportunities in the
sugar area and to solve processing and distribution
issues in both sugar as well as its derivates.
It covers 5 areas: exports, logistics, purchases, The
Sugar Foundation and communications. The sugar
industry represents an average of 20% of the Gross
Agricultural Product. Due to the fact that it is a labor
extensive area, employing over 400,000 workers
and generating approximately $USD400 million, it is
indeed a key area representing 2.28% of the GDP.
The association represents all sugar refineries and
sugar cane producers. There are 7,000 sugar cane
producers, the highest number in Latin America.
Today, the Sugar Association is looking for higher
competitiveness through more efficient irrigation
and fertilization techniques. It is also focusing on
diversification; for instance, a wide variety of uses
can be derived from sugar cane such as nutritional
sources, energy generation, and ethanol for
transportation.
Thanks to the CAFTA (an agreement with the United
States), El Salvador can export 100,000 tons of
sugar (to the 5 countries involved), which is still very
little for a region that exceeds more than 4 million
tons in production.
The Sugar Association has a foundation called
Fundazucar that takes care of the rural community.
They improve the living, health, nutritional and
educational conditions of the workers and their
families that work in sugar cane refineries.
Asociación Azucarera de El Salvador is highly
concerned with the environment, but fortunately
sugar cane has a positive ecologic impact. The
remains from sugar cane processing are used to
fertilize the land. The sugar refineries create their
own energy and produce ethanol, thereby saving
gasoline and reducing CO
2
emissions into the
atmosphere.
“El Salvador has many advantages and positive
conditions for businesses. For the last 25 years it
has had a democracy and stable macro-economy.
It has CAFTA, the Free Trade Agreement with the
United States and Central American countries, and
soon it will have an agreement with Europe.”
Julio César Arroyo, General Manager
CÁMARA AGROPECUARIA Y AGROINDUSTRIAL
DE EL SALVADOR – CAMAGRO (CHAMBER
OF AGRICULTURE AND AGRIBUSINESS IN EL
SALVADOR)
Agustín Martínez
President
Calle El Lirio 18, Col. Maquilishuat,
San Salvador
Tel: (+503) 2264 4622/23/24
Fax: (+503) 2264 4623
www.new.camagro.com
Activity: Agribusiness and agro industrial chamber
The Chamber of Agriculture and Agribusiness in
El Salvador (CAMAGRO) is a private, nonprofit,
nonpartisan association. Its primary objective is to link
to all individuals and limited corporations engaged
in activities related to agriculture, forestry, fisheries,
food processing and other related activities.
Its vision is to be a leading and integrating union
that provides strong, competitive and successful
development conditions for the agricultural and agro-
industry region.
Its mission is to safeguard the interests of
agriculture and agrobusiness and to promote their
competitiveness and integration of productive chains
within the industry.
It follows a macro-strategy to design a short and long
term agricultural policy that will lead to strategies to
attain its adoptions by future governments.
CAMAGRO develops union activities as
representative of the interests of the Agriculture and
Agribusiness industry. Its aims are:
• To formulate policy proposals and draft laws
concerted and relevant to the sector.
• To participate in consulting forums, committees,
commissions, boards of director and national
and international work groups promoting sector
positions
• To Influence public opinion in favor of agricultural
and agro-industrial sector through the media.
• To keep partners/ associates informed on issues
of common interest.
• To collect, systematize and update strategic
information for the sector.