Extrusion Facility For Poverty Alleviation Part II
In a previous blog, we discussed implementing an extrusion facility for poverty alleviation. The center mentioned in the blog, Don Bosco Agro-Mechanical Technology Center, is managed by Salesian Brothers, whose purpose is to help the youth in the community improve their families’ and their own quality of life. They created an agricultural development program by using an idle, vast land that they had and turned it into a farm. There they planted corn, rice, soybeans and other root crops.
Last June, the Don Bosco Agro-Mechanical Technology Center celebrated its 15 year anniversary. Since then, about 2,000 youth have been served that have either graduated or been employed. As the center has continued to grow and maintain its mission to help the community, they initiated a community development program that is now educating farmers on how to properly utilize their upland. The center provides these farmers with seeds, fertilizer and tractor services. This will help empower them to create sustainable agriculture to improve the socio-economic condition of the community. “We are happy to be of service to agriculture development for the sake of farmers of upland,” said Luigi Parolin, Farm Development Program Director of Don Bosco Agro-Mechanical Technology Center.
Today, Don Bosco is serving around 25 farmers with a goal to have an additional 20 farmers this year who will grow corn, cassava, sweet potatoes and other crops. Each of them will have 5,000m2. land to use for planting. Currently, Don Bosco is utilizing about 3.5 hectares of land for corn with the intention to intensify soy farming in the near future, given the proper conditions. They are doing this since they are currently extruding corn and soy with a Model 600 Extruder Machine.
“It was hard in the beginning to encourage the out-of-school youth to come to the center and learn as well as encouraging the farmers to plant crops with Don Bosco doing the marketing,” said Louis “but now it is so inspiring seeing their lives improve.” As mentioned previously, the Don Bosco Agro Mechanical Technology Center is a prime example of how Insta-Pro customers believe in our message, not only helping feed the world, but having the passion to better lives. If you are interested in learning more, send us a message or check out their website.