Tomas Panjoj, with Ericka Beltran of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, shows off his apples that are preserved in a cold storage facility financed by NRECA International.

Tomas Panjoj Jorge, a Mayan-K’iche entrepreneur in Chichicastenango, Quiché had a common problem for a rural agricultural producer. The apples on his farm in the community of Chicua, along with those of his neighbors’, were harvested in August and September, but peak demand for apples, and higher prices, occurred during December’s holiday season. The glut of harvested apples on the market drove down prices, and Tomas reluctantly had to accept whatever low price he was offered by purchasers since he had no ability to store and preserve his apples.

Thanks to a loan from NRECA International’s Electricity for Progress Trust Fund, Tomas has been able to break this cycle and capture the maximum value from his apples by storing them in a large, refrigerated room that keeps them fresh throughout the fall until they can be sold into the market when prices are highest during Christmas season. Instead of selling his apples in August when he can only get US$0.13 per kilogram, he is now able to store over 67,500 kilograms (nearly 150,000 pounds) of apples which he sells at peak prices of US$0.59 per kilogram in December. The cold storage facility financed by NRECA International has not only allowed Tomas to significantly increase his revenues and improve his family’s quality of life, but also expand his workforce.

Tomas Panjoj, with Ericka Beltran of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, shows off his apples that are preserved in a cold storage facility financed by NRECA International.

The Electricity for Progress Trust Fund was created by NRECA International through monetization of surplus wheat provided by the US Department of Agriculture through the Food for Progress program. The EFP Trust Fund provides credit support to qualified rural producers for investments in equipment and machinery that allows them to add value to their agricultural producers through the use of electricity as an input for agro-industrial processes.

Tomas, like many other agricultural producers and entrepreneurs in Guatemala, has taken full advantage of the available credit provided by the EFP Trust Fund to improve post-harvest processing, capture greater value from their products, and improve the competitiveness of their enterprises in the domestic and international market.