Studies carried out by bilateral and multilateral institutions indicate that the Latin American region must improve its business competitiveness in order to face the new challenges presented by globalization.
“It is necessary to raise the competitiveness of the agrifood business,” commented Mr. Marcos Rojas, director of the Zamorano Program for Business Development (PROEMPREZAH ). “Small and medium agrifood enterprises that are not competitive run the risk of disappearing. One of the reasons is the presence in the market of imported products of the same or better quality, at prices lower than those of local products.”
In order to strengthen SMEs and to develop human capital in the region, Zamorano held an international course, “Business Competitiveness of Agrifoood SMEs,” from June 7 to 11 on the university campus. It was organized and presented by PROEMPREZAH and members of the Agribusiness Management and Food Agroindustry careers.
“The course was aimed at providing the participants with modern concepts and practices to promote the competitiveness of agrifood SMEs,” said Mr. Rojas. The course participants included seven professionals from El Salvador, Ecuador, Panama and Honduras, who are SME specialists and key personnel in the banking industry that supports this sector in the different countries.
The course covered subjects, such as the role of agrifood SMEs in rural transformation under free market conditions, business competitiveness, innovation and continuous improvement and product and service related market strategies, among others.
Mr. Silvestre Castillo, one of the participants who currently works in the National Bank of Panama, said that all the presenters and the subjects they dealt with were outstanding. “The whole course was first class, like Zamorano itself. One of the subjects that most impressed me, and that I hope to put into practice in my country is a focus on producers and the need to teach them that the productive chain involves different players; the same person cannot produce, pack and commercialize a product.”
Theory and Practice
Mr. Rojas added that agrifood SMEs need to develop a sustainable competitive strategy of products and production systems. That way they will be able to successfully face the risks and challenges of a globalized market. To that end, the course methodology involved case studies, experience models and Learning by Doing, where the students had the opportunity to improve a Zamorano product.
“We toured the dairy plant and participated in a laboratory that involved redesigning the packaging for two yoghurt flavors. The redesigned products were put on sale in the Zamorano school store, and the results were very successful,” commented Mr. Amado Guillén, Agricultural Credit Officer at the National Bank of Panama. “Adding value to products to make them more competitive is of vital importance here at Zamorano, and that is what has impacted us most.”
For her part, Ms. Marilú Valverde, who currently works as coordinator of a business development project at the University of Cuenca in Ecuador, said that what most impressed her about the course was the business plan taught by Zamorano. “Two of the subjects that interested me most were financial analysis and agribusiness, and I hope to put my knowledge to work in my field projects in order to obtain improved results. The business plan taught by Zamorano is targeted at this.”
At the conclusion of the course, the participants received a diploma and shared a closing lunch with Zamorano’s president, Dr. Kenneth Hoadley, who expressed his satisfaction at the course’s successful conclusion. “We are grateful to you for coming to Zamorano and participating in the course. We hope to have future interchanges with you and your institutions,” said Dr. Hoadley.
Crossing Borders
Zamorano targets its outreach efforts on the sustainable development of globally competitive agrifood businesses. This is achieved to a large degree through the formation of human capital in seminars and short courses that complement the university’s formal degree programs. For example, in 2006, Zamorano gave a seminar in Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador on “The Business Competiveness of Agroindustrial SMEs,” with support from the Chamber of Small Industry, the Ministry of Industries, Commerce and Competitiveness and the Zamorano alumni associations in the country. 139 people participated in the events, which covered subjects, such as product and service related market strategies, innovation and continuous improvement, among others. Likewise, in 2008, Zamorano presented a seminar focused on exports in San José, Costa Rica.
“This kind of courses helps to raise the competitiveness levels of agrifood businesses that provide products to national and international markets and also fosters the development of human capital in the region’s countries. Zamorano, with its extensive experience, provides this support,” said Mr. Rojas.
PROEMPREZAH: Spanish acronym for Programa para el Desarrollo Empresarial de Zamorano
