US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA1969

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 001969 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC FOR GEORGE LIKE, DCHA/PVC-ASHA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID, HO 
SUBJECT: PROPOSED SUPPORT BY ASHA TO THE PAN AMERICAN 
SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE LOCATED IN HONDURAS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 175560 dated August 13, 2004 
 
The present cable provides comments regarding the Pan- 
American School of Agriculture (AKA Zamorano) request 
for financial assistance from American Schools and 
Hospitals Abroad. 
 
Zamorano has requested $1,126,000 for the following 
actions/investments: 
 
1. Increase the storage capacity of a reservoir used 
for irrigation from 30,000 cubic meters to 340,000 
cubic meters. 
 
2. Increase the cultivated area under irrigation by 
adding 96 hectares. 
 
3. Increase the plantation forest area under irrigation 
by adding 45 hectares. 
 
4. Purchase timber harvesting equipment (a skidder). 
 
5. Purchase wood processing equipment and improving the 
wood processing area. 
 
6. Construction and furnishing of a women's dormitory. 
 
In response to the request for comments, USAID/Honduras 
is pleased to provide the following comments regarding 
the Pan-American Agriculture School, Zamorano: 
 
Zamorano is a private U.S. chartered non-profit 
organization that has been in existence for 60 years. 
Zamorano is recognized as the premier agricultural 
institution in Honduras because of its high standards 
and reputation of excellence in the workplace 
established by its graduates over the years. 
 
Zamorano graduates are key contributors to the 
agricultural development of all of the Central American 
countries. 
 
At the Central American level, four institutions are 
recognized as quality centers of higher learning: 
CATIE, INCAE, EARTH and ZAMORANO. 
 
The combination of quality staff and field experience 
possessed by Zamorano cannot be matched by any other 
Honduran agriculture institution. 
 
Zamorano's training program is recognized and 
accredited in various U.S. universities with premier 
agricultural programs.  U.S. universities such as 
Cornell, Purdue, Auburn, and Iowa State have developed 
collaborative research, faculty exchange, and 
international training programs with Zamorano. 
 
SICE, the "Foreign Trade Information System" of the 
Trade Unit of the Organization of American States (OAS) 
indicates that: 
 
"The Zamorano Pan American School is a good example of 
what is needed in terms of improving the human 
resources of a nation in order to offer skills to 
industry. Zamorano is a world-class, specialized 
undergraduate institution.  It is dedicated to 
spreading expertise in agro-industry in which the 
region has a solid opportunity to build a market 
leadership position.  It is a regional institution, 
attracting bright young people from all over Latin 
America.  It offers direct assistance to the farming 
sector in those countries.  It has research facilities 
which are creating and disseminating knowledge about 
new agricultural technology, methods and systems." 
 
USAID/Honduras cables to ASHA from previous years amply 
describe Zamorano's background, the excellence of its 
training program and faculty, and the constant 
collaboration that Zamorano has provided in the 
execution of USAID's development programs.  At present, 
Zamorano is executing a one-year cooperative agreement 
with USAID in water resource management activities. 
 
Zamorano is constantly improving its capacity and focus 
according to the changing needs of Latin America.  For 
example, Zamorano has recently changed from a three- 
year program with an additional one-year specialization 
to a four-year, university-level academic program. 
Zamorano now offers four career paths: agribusiness 
development, agricultural science and production, agro 
industry, and socioeconomic development and 
environment.  Beyond the classroom, students learn-by- 
doing as they participate actively in planning, 
production, and marketing activities related to 
educational business operations called ZamoEnterprises. 
The new program begins with a two-year core curriculum 
comprised of courses and learning-by-doing activities 
offered by each of the four careers and six 
ZamoEnterpirses.  During their third and fourth years, 
students undertake a specialized program of study in 
one of the four careers and return to the 
ZamoEnterprises to further develop their skills and 
deepen their knowledge.  In addition, Zamorano and the 
University of New Mexico are presently executing a two- 
year collaborative program to establish a Central 
American Water Resources Development Center and 
training Honduran professionals in water resource 
management. 
 
Zamorano is a non-sectarian institution.  There is no 
religious orientation nor is religion a factor in the 
curriculum or entrance requirements.  Since Zamorano 
serves predominantly Catholic countries, the majority 
of the students are Catholic but the institutional 
atmosphere provides an open welcome to students or 
faculty of every religious belief. 
 
We concur with Zamorano that the current water storage 
capacity is already insufficient and that a major 
expansion of Zamorano's water storage capacity is 
necessary to expand the area under irrigation. 
Zamorano has indicated that, during the dry months, the 
daily requirement to properly attend the land area 
presently apt for irrigation exceeds the supply by 
almost 3,000 cubic meters.  Therefore, to place 
additional land under irrigation, the large increase in 
water storage capacity proposed by Zamorano is 
necessary.  We also concur that Zamorano, as a regional 
leader in agriculture, must improve its water 
catchments, irrigation and water management practices 
to generate and transfer appropriate technologies. 
 
USAID concurs that Zamorano must improve its forest 
harvesting and processing equipment to be able to 
execute and teach sustainable forest management 
practices and efficient wood processing techniques. 
The skidder being requested will complement the cable 
extraction equipment being purchased under ASHA Grant 
842.  The sawmill improvements along with the wood 
products facility will allow Zamorano to teach and 
promote cost effective production and value added 
alternatives. 
 
USAID also concurs with Zamorano's proposal to 
construct a dormitory for women.  Already one-third of 
Zamorano's student body is women and it is projected 
that this percentage will rise in the future.  Also, 
the present lack of dormitory space is limiting 
enrolment and forcing less than optimal spacing for 
some students (living three to a room instead of the 
normal arrangement of two per room).   The construction 
of an additional dormitory facility for women will 
allow Zamorano to accommodate the increased number of 
female applicants and to improve the living space 
provided to the students. 
 
USAID/Honduras supports the objectives of Zamorano's 
request, but suggests that a grant contain 
conditionality that the institution complies with all 
the required environmental actions, reporting, and 
monitoring applicable to USAID-financed activities, 
including those set forth in title 22 of the United 
States Code of Federal Regulations, part 216 and with 
the requirements of the Foreign Assistance Act, Section 
118 Tropical Forest. 
 
Section 118 of the FAA indicates that the President 
shall deny assistance to developing countries for the 
procurement of logging equipment, unless an 
environmental assessment indicates that all timber 
harvesting operations involved will be conducted in an 
environmentally sound manner which minimizes forest 
destruction. 
 
If you require additional information regarding 
environmental compliance, please contact the agency's 
environmental coordinator, James Hester, 
jhester@usaid.gov. 
 
Any questions about the comments which USAID/Honduras 
provides in this cable may be addressed to Ramon 
Alvarez, Mission Forestry Advisor, by cable or e-mail, 
ralvarez@usaid.gov. Regards. 
 
Palmer