Competitiveness Promotion Program

The Competitiveness Promotion Program, part of the Sectoral Public Policy Plan for the Costa Rican Agricultural Sector, focuses on strengthening the competitiveness of producers through a series of interventions that seek to improve their technical capabilities and promote the adoption of advanced technologies. One of the first interventions consists of a capacity development program aimed at producers, which focuses on training them in areas such as sustainable production and business management. This program is developed in conjunction with the National Learning Institute (INA) and the National Council of 4-S Clubs (Conac 4S), and its objective is for producers to be able to apply modern and sustainable practices, thus achieving more efficient and profitable production. Additionally, a similar program is offered to agricultural extension workers, strengthening their knowledge in advanced production techniques and systems, which allows them to provide better support to producers. Another relevant intervention is the modernization of the registration of agrochemical application equipment and the registration of agrochemicals. This includes the creation and updating of regulations that allow the use of advanced technologies, such as drones, for the application of chemical and biological substances. The axis also contemplates the adaptation of national regulations for the granting of tax exemptions and benefits to the agricultural sector. This intervention aims to update the regulatory framework so that the processes for requesting and assigning tax benefits are more agile and effective, contributing to the reduction of operating costs for producers and facilitating their formal incorporation into the economy. Regarding financial tools, the axis introduces the use of a guarantee fund designed for rural credit, which facilitates access to financial resources for producers. This guarantee fund is essential to finance activities under an approach of economic, social and environmental sustainability, since it includes the securing of credits and technical support for the implementation of technologies that adapt to climate change. This intervention not only supports the sector's resilience to adverse climate events, but also encourages the adoption of sustainable practices and promotes rural development, allowing producers to access financing that would otherwise be difficult to obtain.