The Inter-American Citrus Network
The Inter-American Citrus Network (IACNET) is an organization sponsored by the FAO whose objective is to promote technical and economic cooperation among the citrus growing countries of the American continent . This cooperation is basically based on the technical, human and financial resources of these countries, regardless of the fact that this organization also promotes the financial support of the FAO, the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) and other international institutions to back up measures and plans aimed at improving citrus growing in the continent.
IACNET Member countries:
Antigua and Barbuda
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Ecuador |
Panama |
| Argentina |
El Salvador
French West Indies |
Paraguay |
| Bahamas |
Guatemala |
Peru |
| Belize |
Guayana |
Rep. Dominicana |
| Brazil |
Haiti |
Suriname |
| Chile |
Honduras |
Trinidad and Tobago |
| Colombia |
Jamaica |
USA |
| Costa Rica |
Mexico |
Uruguay |
| Cuba |
Nicaragua |
Venezuela |
The structure of the Network is as follows:
- General Coordinator
- Technical Secretary. named by the FAO to provide support to the network and identify areas of common interest, to provide follow up and evaluate the activities of the Network and to propagate successful results and experiences, among others.
- Technical Coordinator, in charge of the following Working Group Coordinators:
- Genetic Resources and Propagation
- Bioclimatology and Production Management
- Pests and Diseases
- Postharvest
- Economic Coordinator, in charge of Working Group Coordinators:
- Markets
- Economic Analysis
- National Coordinators.
The FAO supports the Network in the search for funding to finance projects and specific activities, it contributes economically, within its possibilities, to the execution of activities foreseen in the work plan such as meetings, workshops, etc. and the preparation and distribution of its the official publication “Citrus in the Americas” (formerly “IACNET Newsletter”) and provides support for the necessary technical exchange among countries.
IACNET currently works on the following tasks included in a medium-term work plan:
- To boost the Regional Project “Improving Production of Citrus Planting Material in the Caribbean Basin” financed by the CFC, to stop the quick dissemination of several destructive citrus diseases. This Project foresees the development of National Certification Programs as well as the improvement of citrus planting material production, diagnostic laboratories and national centers to rescue and keep valuable local genetic resources, to import foreign high quality varieties, produce the basic propagation material and hold training and development activities.
- To favor the implementation of studies and actions on markets in order to improve the economic performance of citriculture in the continent.
- To present new projects to the CFC, giving priority to plant protection in order to cope with the critical current citrus situation and provide continuity to the Regional Project being executed.
More information in spanish:
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