A good example of the results of the Tierra Fértil program is the story of Monte Moreno, a small and medium-sized company owned by Jorge Quijada and Jorge Quijada.  This company started in the 1990s with small rice crops around Nueva Concepción, Chalatenango.

As time goes by, in 2008, he sees a profitable opportunity in the cultivation of guava and little by little he bets on the cultivation of coconut. Jorge Ismael Quijada (son), who has been involved in agriculture since he was a child next to his father, is motivated to study Food Engineering, with the vision of promoting the cultivation of fruits in the area and the formal marketing of the products.

The young man started with the idea of creating a brand with two clear objectives: the first one to take advantage of local production and the second one to support farmers by buying their crops to be processed in the same place and, consequently, generate jobs and development for the area.

Monte Moreno is a company with a family identity that, thanks to good management and production in 2022, established an alliance with Walmart through an approach with executives from the Fruit and Vegetables plant. This commercial relationship has allowed them to sell their products in all the chain's stores. Initially, Monte Moreno supplied coconut water to the store formats, later in 2023 they entered with guava fruit and nectar.

Part of the growth is attributed to the advice they receive from Walmart under the Tierra Fértil program on crop management, processing and improving the quality of their products.

"Walmart has believed in us and we are very grateful for the opportunity they have given us to be suppliers to their stores", says Jorge Quijada.

Monte Moreno currently provides 20 direct jobs and 60 indirect jobs, benefiting around 80 families. Part of its vision is to continue supporting producers in the area by purchasing their crops, in addition to providing the salvadoran population with a variety of natural products made through processes and conditions that ensure their safety and quality.

Translated by: A.M