Yuca Amarga para una Dulce Leche: Informe de Actividades del Año 2

Agency for International Development (USAID) and the cooperative lechera Colanta. The initiative aims to connect two productive chains: the cultivation and transformation of industrial yuca and the production of milk, to generate conditions for rural development in the country. During its second year of implementation, Yuca Amarga para una Dulce Leche renewed the activity of industrial yuca cultivation in areas where it had been disappearing in recent years, and brought it to new territories as an alternative for generating a licit means of living for communities affected historically by the armed conflict. In the territories where industrial yuca was traditionally produced, the arrival of the alliance constituted a factor of economic reactivation, and in the areas where it penetrated for the first time, the productive activity facilitated entrepreneurship for associations that brought together vulnerable populations. 785 tons of dried yuca were produced in the second year by farmers, which were sold by them to Colanta for use in the production of concentrated feed for dairy cattle. According to the models of accompaniment implemented by the alliance, the guaranteed purchase of the farmers' production is complemented with: technical assistance and training, access to financing, production infrastructure, and high-value genetic seed. The dairy sector in Colombia is composed mainly of small and medium-sized producers who face significant competitiveness challenges against international players. The alliance's strategy within this productive chain is to strengthen the livelihoods of thousands of rural families in the country, contributing to the reduction of the cost of milk production per liter, with a support scheme that offers: technical assistance and training, financing for access to production infrastructure, pasture renewal, and seeks intergenerational integration within dairy production. Colanta and USAID seek to take advantage of the infrastructure and experience of the private sector to generate "better conditions for inclusive rural development" by strengthening licit economy in conflict-affected areas. The implementation of Yuca Amarga para una Dulce Leche during the FY 2020 had to respond to the eventualities generated by the declared health emergency due to COVID-19. Factors such as mobility restrictions and the prohibition of people's congregation made it necessary to make adjustments to continue accompanying both productive components. Producers of milk and yuca were especially affected in terms of the mobility of their products, crossing municipal borders. Each local government established its own regulations, affecting the transportation of cargo and leading to the redirection of resources by the alliance to support beneficiaries. The development of biosecurity protocols and the delivery of sanitary kits to limit the risk of contagion of producers and all personnel involved in agricultural production, as well as the entry into operation of virtual tools for the realization of technical assistance and training, were some of the measures established to continue with the implementation. It is essential to highlight that thanks to the coordination between Colanta and USAID, and the work of field technical assistants, the accompaniment of agricultural producers was maintained at all times, and the activities of the alliance never stopped. The repercussions of the pandemic have extended to the country's economy. The Colombian peso has devalued around 17% against the dollar in 2020, increasing the cost of inputs and machinery required by producers in their businesses, and directly affecting their competitiveness. Despite this complex scenario, the progress of Yuca Amarga para una Dulce Leche indicators is very satisfactory. In terms of territorial penetration by productive component, the alliance reached 67% of the municipalities established for the yuca component (21 of 31 municipalities), and 91% of those established for the milk component (53 of 58 municipalities). In total, actions have been carried out in 58 of the 61 municipalities initially contemplated for the 5-year execution. The alliance achieved significant advances in its objective of establishing the production and transformation of bitter yuca as a licit means of living for agricultural communities. The establishment of hectares of yuca crops exceeded the planned target by 285% for the year. 571 new hectares were established, impacting 271 new producer households with a model of intervention that offers, according to the type of beneficiary: agricultural credits granted by the partner Ahorro y Crédito Colanta, access to machinery, technical assistance and training, improved seed, and forward contracts that guarantee the purchase of all producers' crops at a previously agreed price. In the yuca component, technical assistance and training focused on: harvesting, cutting, drying, and dispatching industrial yuca. During the FY2020, emerging producers without prior experience in the processing and drying of yuca from their crops faced this phase of the productive chain for the first time. 211 technical assistance and 130 training sessions were carried out, contributing to the successful implementation of some producers' businesses and the initiation of a new cycle of sowing for others. Farmers commercialized a total of 785 tons of dried yuca, delivered to the Colanta Concentrated Foods Plant in the municipality of Itagüí (Antioquia). As part