International Sorghum and Millet Collaborative Research Support Program (INTSORMIL CRSP)
Date of this Version
4-1-2007
Document Type
Article
Citation
INTSORMIL Report No. 13, April 1, 2007
Abstract
The coffee crisis brought widespread unemployment, poverty and hunger to parts of Nicaragua. In some regions, 33% of the area’s children suffer malnutrition and child mortality claims ten out of every thousand children. Partially, in response to the coffee crisis, there is interest in promoting the poultry industry in Nicaragua, and international aid agencies are assisting Nicaraguan farmers with poultry projects. For example, the Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas, Inc. is currently managing a poultry project in Nicaragua called Gallinas de Patio, or backyard chickens. The project provides material and technical assistance to Nicaraguan families, enabling them to successfully raise and sustain a flock of chickens and providing a renewable source of dietary protein.
Poultry consumption per capita in Central America is increasing due to the declining relative prices of chicken compared with other meats. Imported maize is the most common grain used in preparing poultry rations in Central America. However, there is interest in substituting sorghum for maize in poultry rations.