The service, which will be available through the Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería under the advice of the company Alto Rendimiento en la Agricultura (ATIDER), makes agricultural mechanization services immediately available to producers, so they can start a new production model and methodology.

Farmers will have access to more than 120 pieces of machinery, including tractors, harrows, silage machines, cultivators/fertilizers, four and six-row planters, wagons, and drones.

The program is advised by one of the world's most influential agricultural specialists, mexican Ernesto Cruz González, who has more than four decades of experience. He has transferred his knowledge to SMAR technicians in integrated crop management, which includes plant nutrition, soil fertility, use of technology and profitability management.

"It is a fact that food production must increase and in the case of corn it must double and this must be done in the face of climate change and other factors. Both in El Salvador and Mexico the challenge is great because we must produce high-yield food and make it profitable. It must be the basis for economic development".

The Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Óscar Domínguez, explained that for more than a year several actions have been developed to verify the results of innovation, implementation of technologies and the use of specialized agricultural machinery.

"With the experience of Ernesto Cruz and ATIDER, our technical teams now have the expertise to serve interested farmers, who will increase production, increase the profitability of their crops and contribute to food security for all salvadoran families".

Thus, the more than 200 trained SMAR technicians will provide advice to salvadoran producers so that they can increase their profits with the same investment of the traditional model.

This program is seen in an integral way because in addition to providing mechanization and technical assistance, it implements respect for the environment and provides credit opportunities, which is why the Banco de Fomento Agropecuario (BFA) has created a special line of financing for SMAR.

Producers who have already purchased SMAR's services highlight the benefits of the initiative. "It is very good, because they have helped us a lot with the technology they are providing, the contribution through the machinery, the supervision and assistance for the crop. We have already harvested two corn crops and now we are going to start with another project, which is corn", said producer David Castellón.

He also said that he has improved the yield and quality of his crops, since he used to produce 70 corn nets and now, thanks to the assistance and technology provided, he has improved the size of the product. "Today we have managed to produce 84 corn nets and it is of better quality because we have reduced the amount of small corn", said the farmer.

Translated by: A.M