The Tico Times Online Daily Page

Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, July, 20 2004

CHEESY: Workers from the Association of United Turrialba Plants (ASOPLUT) put the famous Turrialba-type cheese into molds before it is refrigerated. The association plans to expand production beyond milk and cheese to yogurt, ice cream and an energy drink in hopes of improving profits.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Science and Technology

Turrialba Dairy Industry
Diversifies Products
Luz Camacho, 37, has been making cheese in Santa Cruz de Turrialba, on the Caribbean slope, since she was in her early 20s. Although Camacho and her 16 coworkers have found success making Turrialba cheese under the brand Tiqueso, they are now hoping to improve their standards of living under a new government project to diversify the region’s dairy production.
(Click for more)

Teachers Plan Work Stoppage
For Higher Salaries
High school teachers in the country are planning a work stoppage to push for salary hikes of 10%.
(Click for more)

July 20

Film Festival
Video art of Latin America, today at 6 p.m.; Terry Gillian and Central American documentaries, Thursday at 6 p.m.; Central
American video art and Pedro Almodóvar, July 29, 6 p.m., at the Contemporary Art and Design Museum in the Fanal Culture Complex, Av. 3, Calle 15 in San José.

Clarinet and Piano Concert
Performance starts at 7 p.m. in room 107 of the School of Music at the University of Costa Rica in San Pedro. Info: 207-5565.

Dance Encounter
Roundtable discussions about dance, tomorrow through Friday at Teatro 1887 and Colegio de Costa Rica Towers, CENAC, Av. 3, Calle 15. Info: 256-4838, 222-2974.

Return To Top Of Page

Turrialba Dairy Industry
Diversifies Products
By Rebecca Kimitch
rkimitch@ticotimes.net

Luz Camacho, 37, has been making cheese in Santa Cruz de Turrialba, on the Caribbean slope, since she was in her early 20s. Although Camacho and her 16 coworkers have found success making Turrialba cheese under the brand Tiqueso, they are now hoping to improve their standards of living under a new government project to diversify the region’s dairy production.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICIT) initiated the project – focused on 13 businesses in Turrialba – with ¢12 million ($27,400) and a goal of improving cleanliness in production.

But when specialists from the National Center of Food Technology (CITA) and the University for Costa Rica began working with the dairy plants, they realized they could improve cleanliness and reduce costs at the same time by diversifying. They recommended production of yogurt, ice cream, ricotta cheese, dulce de leche and an energy drink, in addition to traditional milk and whey products.

“This project has made us understand that quality and innovation go hand in hand, so we want to develop new products,” Camacho said in a statement.

The Association of United Turrialba Plants (ASOPLUT), along with Science and Technology Minister Fernando Gutiérrez and CONICIT president Rónald Meléndez, announced the findings of this project last week.

The project may also help decrease electricity use. For example, in one of the test plants, in September 2002, the electricity bill was ¢117,585 ($268) and by January 2003, with the new techniques in place, the bill was ¢64,736 ($148).

Return To Top Of Page

Monaco Aids Fight
Against Child Cancer

This week the government of the Principality of Monaco will organize a series of activities in its capital dedicated to Costa Rica, including a concert and a dance whose proceeds will go to programs aimed at combating children’s cancer in Costa Rica.

Monaco holds these types of activities once a year. The country it decides to help changes each year. In 2003, Panama was chosen.

First Lady Leila Rodríguez and Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Marco Vinicio Vargas will travel to Monaco to take part in the event. Vargas will meet with top officials to discuss cooperation in tourism, environmental protection and combating money laundering.

Monaco holds these types of activities once a year. The country it decides to help changes each year. In 2003, Panama was chosen.

First Lady Leila Rodríguez and Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Marco Vinicio Vargas will travel to Monaco to take part in the event. Vargas will meet with top officials to discuss cooperation in tourism, environmental protection and combating money laundering.

Return To Top Of Page

Teachers Plan Work Stoppage
For Higher Salaries

High school teachers in the country are planning a work stoppage to push for salary hikes of 10%.

A spokeswoman for the High School Teachers Association (APSE), Norma Umaña, said representatives of the organization would meet yesterday evening with the leaders of the Union and Teachers Unitary Coordination (CUSINA) to carry out the stoppage together, possibly on July 29.

CUSINA merges several Costa Rican unions not only linked to education, but also state businesses such as telecommunications and insurance, as well as other sectors.

“It will be the first ‘little test’ so the government knows how far the fight will go if it keeps mistreating the rights of workers,” said Danilo Rojas, president of APSE.

According to APSE, teachers believe the salary increase of 3.5% proposed by the government does not cover the needs of the working class. They are demanding a minimum increase equal to the current level of inflation, which is 6.26% per semester, and another percentage that anticipates inflation for the next six months, which the government says will be more than 10%.

– AFP

Return To Top Of Page

Immigration Authorities Deny Entry to
More Than 25,000 During First Semester

Costa Rican immigration officials have rejected 27,349 foreigners they said attempted to enter the country illegally during the first six months of this year, the Public Security Ministry announced yesterday.

According to a ministry statement, Immigration Director Marco Badilla said that among those rejected were 26,654 Nicaraguans, 152 Colombians, 246 Panamanians and 78 U.S. citizens. Authorities also rejected 22 citizens of the Dominican Republic, 15 Hondurans, 10 Canadians, six citizens of Asian countries, five Indians, five South Africans and four Bolivians.

All of those rejected were attempting to enter the country either at Peñas Blancas, on the Nicaraguan border, or Paso Canoas, on the Panamanian border, according to ministry officials.

According to Badilla, immigration officials also deported 622 foreigners from Costa Rica, including 426 Nicaraguans, 63 Colombians, 46 Peruvians, 20 Panamanians, 15 Ecuadorians and nine Vietnamese.

Return To Top Of Page

Wednesday October 26, 2005