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Agriculture Ministry Asks Central
America To Lift Ban on Tico Chicken
By Amanda Roberson
Tico Times Staff
aroberson@ticotimes.net
Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) yesterday solicited help from the International Regional Animal Health Organization (OIRSA) in asking Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador to lift bans on Costa Rican chicken, egg and cold-cut imports. The bans were put in place last month after Costa Rican chickens were found to be infected with the respiratory disease laryngotracheitis, according to the ministry’s Director of Animal Health Yayo Vicente.
“Laryngotracheitis is a disease that poses no risk to human health; it cannot be transmitted from animal to animal and much less from human to human,” Vicente said. “This disease has nothing to do with avian flu.”
Vicente added that he believes these countries have a “commercial pretext” for banning Costa Rican chicken imports.
“They know that this disease should have no impact on consumption or trade. If no chicken from Costa Rica enters their countries, it opens up a bigger market for them to sell their own chicken,” he said.
Honduras banned Costa Rican chicken imports three weeks ago; shortly afterwards, El Salvador banned eggs imported from Costa Rica and Guatemala banned Costa Rican eggs and cold cuts.
Approximately 1,000 chickens in the Caribbean zone were placed in quarantine after 32 chickens in the area’s farms were found to carry laryngotracheitis; about 500 birds were slaughtered as a preventive measure, Vicente said.
Costa Rican animal health experts have remained in constant contact with their counterparts all over Central America to update them on the outbreak, and Panama and Nicaragua have sent experts to inspect Costa Rican chicken farms, Volio said, adding that he is surprised that Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have not done the same.
Honduras buys about $500,000 of chicken monthly from Costa Rica, according to the wire service
ACAN-EFE.
Taiwan to Donate $15 Million
To Repair Calderón Guardia Hospital
The Taiwanese government has announced that it will donate $15 million to the Social Security System (Caja) to repair damages caused by a fire in San José 's Calderón Guardia Hospital on July 12, 2005, according to a statement from the Foreign Relations Ministry.
The funds will be used to build a new, seven-floor building on the northern corner of the hospital's grounds. It will accommodate 205 beds and house the obstetrics, gynecology and neonatology wards as well as operating rooms, birthing rooms, a blood lab, nutrition center and cafeteria. These areas were damaged by the fire, which resulted in 19 deaths (TT, July 15, 2005).
The funds will be donated at an official ceremony July 12 at the site where the building will be constructed. Caja President Eduardo Doryan, Taiwanese Ambassador Tzu-Dan and Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno plan to attend.
-Tico Times
Caribbean-Slope, Northern and Southern
Pacific Zones Under Green, Preventive Alert
Heavy rains passing over Costa Rica have led the National Emergency Commission (CNE) to declare a green, preventive alert for the Caribbean-slope region, Northern Zone and southern Pacific, according to a statement from the commission.
The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) has indicated that heavy rains and tropical-storm weather “accompanied by electric activity” are likely to affect these regions, particularly the Caribbean-slope towns of Sarapiquí, Turrialba and Jiménez.
University of Costa Rican (UCR) oceanographer Omar Lizano told the daily Al Día that the people on the Caribbean coast, from Tortuguero to Manzanillo, can expect waves more than three meters tall. He warned beachgoers to use extra caution while swimming or going out in boats.
The Northern Zone and Caribbean slope are especially vulnerable to heavy rains after floods last weekend forced 250 people to flee their homes for shelters in Sarapiquí, Siquirres, San Carlos and Guatuso.
-Tico Times
Costa Rica Lacks Funds to Attend
Upcoming
Central American-Caribbean Games
Costa Rica's participation in the 20 th Central American-Caribbean Games to be held July 15- 30 in Cartagena , Colombia , is in jeopardy because the National Olympic Committee (CON) lacks funds.
A spokesman from the committee said it has sent the event's planners a preliminary list of which athletes will compete, but cannot confirm how many athletes Costa Rica will send until necessary funds are secured.
Committee Secretary General Adrián Pearson told Radio Monumental the committee “right now, can't count on one centavo ” to cover the cost of sending a team.
For Costa Rica to participate, ¢35 million (about $69,000) from the Costa Rican Sporting Institute (ICODER) are needed, but these funds await approval by the Comptroller General's Office, Pearson said.
The committee is considering asking private federations to sponsor their own athletes at the games, he added.
-ACAN-EFE
Internet Service May Be Interrupted This Weekend
The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) is making adjustments to its broadband Internet network this weekend, and those who use this service in their homes and businesses could experience interruptions in their connections, according to a statement from the institute.
The interruptions are likely to last about 20 minutes and take place from 10 p.m. Saturday - 1 a.m. Sunday and from 10 p.m. Sunday - 1 a.m. Monday.
-Tico Times
Plants at a Glance: Breadfruit
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Common Name: Breadnut or breadfruit
Spanish Name: Castaña or fruta de pan
Latin Name: Artocarpus altilis
Family: Moraceae
Breadfruit is called fruta de pan, árbol de pan or pan de pobre in Spanish. The seeded variety is known as breadnut, or castaña or ramón in Spanish.
Geo-distribution: The breadfruit is believed to be native to a vast area extending from New Guinea through the Indo-Malayan Archipelago to western Micronesia. It is believed to have been distributed in the Pacific area by migrating Polynesians. Hawaiians say it was brought from the Samoan island of Upalu to Oahu in the 12th century. The Spanish were the first to transplant the breadnut tree from the Philippines to Mesoamerica.
The story of Captain William Bligh’s first voyage to Tahiti on the Bounty in 1787, and the loss of his cargo of 1,015 potted breadfruit plants because of the mutiny of his crew, is well known. He set out again in 1791 and delivered 2,126 plants of five different varieties to Jamaica in February 1793. Later, immigrants from this island distributed these trees in the Caribbean coastal region of Central America. The breadfruit is more commonly found in coastal regions, while the breadnut has adapted to both the coastal and midrange regions.
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Botanical Description: The breadfruit tree is a handsome, fast-growing tree from six to 25 meters tall, often with a smooth, gray trunk buttressed at the base. The leaves are evergreen, ovate, 23- 90 centimeters long, and 20- 50 cm wide, entire at the base, then more or less deeply cut into five to 11 pointed lobes. The upper surface is bright green and glossy, with conspicuous yellow veins, and the underside is dull, yellowish and coated with minute, stiff hairs. It is difficult to distinguish between the two types of trees; however, the breadfruit has a soft, white pulp with no seeds, while the breadnut contains many seeds. The fruit is spherical in shape, five to 30 cm in diameter, with a pattern of conical cells on the surface. It starts out green, turning to yellow-brown when ripe.
Food Uses: The ripe pulp of the breadfruit is eaten raw, baked or steamed, while the chestnut-like seeds of the breadnut are boiled or baked and peeled to provide a nutritious meal. Breadfruit flour contains 4% protein, 77% carbohydrates and 331 calories per 100 grams. The seedless breadfruit is low in protein compared to the breadnut, which is considerably higher in protein (13%). Both are valuable food crops that can be grown in the orchard.
Medicinal Uses: Older, dried leaves of these trees are used to prepare a tea for the treatment of kidney stones and bladder infections. In Trinidad and the Bahamas, a decoction of the breadfruit leaf is believed to lower blood pressure, and is also said to relieve asthma. Crushed leaves are applied on the tongue as a treatment for thrush. The leaf juice is employed for earaches. Ashes of burned leaves are used on skin infections. A powder of roasted leaves is employed as a remedy for enlarged spleen. Toasted flowers are rubbed on the gums around an aching tooth. The latex is used on skin diseases and is bandaged on the spine to relieve sciatica.
Preparation: One large leaf is shredded and boiled in four liters of water for 30 minutes.
Dosage: One to three cups of tea per day.
Notes: These trees can be particularly useful for gardeners in the coastal and midrange zones of Costa Rica; however, because of their large size, they are not recommended for small home lots. The breadfruit tree can be propagated only from new vegetative shoots that arise from the roots of the mother tree, which is why they are so rare and difficult to acquire. On the other hand, the breadnut is very common in Costa Rica, and the fruits or seeds can often be found in local farmer’s markets, and can be used for planting.
Plant one seed in a plastic nursery bag with fertile soil and water frequently. Young seedling trees prefer partial shade for the first year of growth; then they can be transplanted to permanent sites. Rich, fertile, soil with wet to moist conditions, such as riverbanks, are best for these trees. It is also important to note that livestock love to eat the leaves, so fencing is essential to protect them in their early stages of development.
For more information on tropical medicinal plants and gardening, visit www.thenewdawncenter.org or e- mail thenewdawncenter@yahoo.com.
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