The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, April 13, 2004

ORGANIC Goodies: Exports of organic fruits and vegetables from Costa Rica, such as these from Comercio Alternativo, have increased thanks to European Union’s recognition of the country’s organic certification norms. See story for more info.
Photo courtesy Comercio Alternativo

Exports of Organic Products
Reach Nearly 5 Million Kilograms
The export of organic products in 2003 was greatly assisted by the European Union’s recognition of Costa Rica’s organic certification norms, the Ministry of Agriculture announced yesterday.
(Click for more)

Lots of Quakes and
An Anniversary
The National Seismological Network (RSN) announced the celebration of its 20th anniversary during a Semana Santa (Easter Week) harried by 17 earthquakes.
(Click for more)

April 13

Immigration Proposals Explained at Newcomer’s Club
Ryan Piercy of the Association of Residents of Costa Rica will discuss proposed new immigration laws for Costa Rica, 9:30 a.m. at the Bosque Lindora Club House in Santa Ana, west of San José. Info: 282-1530, 232-3999.

Republicans Abroad Costa Rica
Republicans Abroad Luncheon and Speaker Series features Robin Morritz, Consul General for the U.S. Embassy and Fred Kaplan, the Embassy’s Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs, noon at the Hotel Confort Corobicí north of La Sabana, San José. Info: 386-1420.

American Legion Post CR 16 Meeting
Meeting starts at 1 p.m. in the Oporto Restaurant in San Francisco de Heredia. Info: 591-1695.

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Exports of Organic Products
Reach Nearly 5 Million Kilograms
By Rebecca Kimitch
rkimitch@ticotimes.net

The export of organic products in 2003 was greatly assisted by the European Union’s recognition of Costa Rica’s organic certification norms, the Ministry of Agriculture announced yesterday.

Last year, Costa Rica exported 4.6 kilograms of organic products, including 2.7 million kilos to the European Union. Costa Rica is the only Central American country to have received recognition from the European Union for organic products, according to the ministry.

Costa Rica’s organic producers also exported to the United States (1.7 million kg), Taiwan, Switzerland, Japan and Canada.

Costa Rica exported more than 3,900 certified organic products, including bananas, cocoa, coffee and blackberries, as well as processed items such as banana puree, dehydrated banana, brown sugar, concentrated juice and essential orange and passion fruit oils.

Organic farming can be environmentally advantageous, because it avoids the use of pesticides, and also economically advantageous, particularly for smaller farmers, according to the ministry.

Organic coffee, for example, sells for 30-100% more than conventional beans (TT, March 5).

Local distribution of organic products also has increased. Three years ago, organic products could be found in only two or three places, according to the ministry. Today they can be purchased in at least 19 places in the country.

Although the industry is still in relative infancy, the health benefits of organic foods have been documented. For example, the United Kingdom-based Soil Association reviewed more than 400 research papers and concluded there is scientific evidence to support the claim that organically grown food is safer and healthier for the body than food conventionally grown using chemicals and pesticides.

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Lots of Quakes and
An Anniversary
By Robert Goodier
rgoodier@ticotimes.net

The National Seismological Network (RSN) announced the celebration of its 20th anniversary during a Semana Santa (Easter Week) harried by 17 earthquakes.

The biggest quake of the week, a 5.0 on the Richter scale according to the network, shook up the Southern Zone 70 kilometers south of Quepos on the Pacific coast. No damage was reported.

La Nación reported that 17 earthquakes with magnitudes from 2.1 to 5.0 on the Richter scale rattled the country April 4-10, from the Central Valley to the Southern Zone. The strongest unleashed seven smaller aftershocks in the Southern Zone that ranged from 3.6 to 4.4 in intensity.

Throughout the year, the network will host educational activities to inform the public about earthquakes and also about the history of its detection network.

A $1 million upgrade to the network should be complete by the end of the year, according to Silvia Monturiol, a representative of the RSN. Financed by the Emergency Fund, it will install digital equipment to replace the analog equipment in place since the network began in 1984.

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Costa Rican Palmito Exporter
To Conquer Chilean Market

Costa Rican heart-of-palm (palmito) exporter Demasa says it’s ready to again earn a place in the hearts of Chilean consumers.

Demasa is confident lower tariffs as a result of the Costa Rica-Chile Free-Trade Agreement and higher international heart-of-palm prices will enable the company to conquer 50% of the Chilean market within the next five years.

Chile is one of the world’s top five consumers of heart of palm. Last year it imported 160,000 crates of the product.

Demasa resumed heart-of-palm exports to Chile last year after a five-year absence. Last year, the company sent eight containers to Chile. This year it plans to send 20 containers.

Costa Rican heart-of-palm exports have been suffering since 1998 – the year Ecuador started exporting the product. High tariffs, Ecuador’s proximity to Chile and low international prices practically drove Costa Rican heart-of-palm exporters out of the Chilean market.

The situation has changed, according to Philippe Balayer, Sales Manager for Demasa.

“The prices have evened out, the increase in trade between both countries has improved transportation conditions and there is no longer a tariff on our exports,” Balayer explained.

Last year, Costa Rican heart-of-palm exports totaled $20.9 million. Costa Rica exported $22,935 of heart-of-palm to Chile in 2003, down from $134,188 in 2002.

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Thousands of Nicaraguans Denied
Entry During Easter Week Holiday

Costa Rican immigration officials last week turned back 2,443 Nicaraguans attempting to enter the country without their migratory documents in order, Immigration Director Marco Badilla said yesterday.

Badilla told the national press the arrests were made during special immigration operations aimed at capturing undocumented Nicaraguans trying to take advantage of the elevated border traffic during Semana Santa (Easter Week).

According to a statement from the Public Security Ministry, 2,105 of those deported were caught at the Peñas Blancas border station, in the northwest corner of the country. The other 338 were captured in the inland zone of Los Chiles, which lies at the northern midpoint of Costa Rica’s two coastlines.

During Semana Santa, there was a massive exodus of Nicaraguans residing in Costa Rica returning to their native country to celebrate the holidays with family members, officials said.

Thousands of Nicaraguans cross into Costa Rica each month in an attempt to find work here. According to official statistics, Nicaragua has a 53% unemployment rate and more than 70% of the population lives in poverty.

Officials estimate there could be more than 1 million Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica, working primarily in agriculture, construction, security and domestic services.
-AFP

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Wednesday October 26, 2005