Los Amigos bio-preparations plant inaugurated July 26

Germán Veloz Placencia (text & photos)

Los Amigos, a Neem seed industrial processing plant, recently inaugurated in the municipality of Mayarí, in the province of Holguín, is a permanent reminder of the fraternal ties which united deceased Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez Frías with Fidel and Raúl Castro.

According to specialists, oil extracted from sunflower seeds at the facility meets necessary quality standards.

A step forward in developing the province’s production potential, along with water supplied by the East-West diversion canal for agricultural activity, the new plant will utilize Neem tree seeds’ natural insecticidal properties to produce biopreparations to combat pests which attack plants and animals.

The installation, valued at more than 3.4 million pesos, is among national investments being made in order to substitute imports, and reduce the use of insecticides, fertilizers and other chemical products in agriculture, stated Dr. José Antonio Fraga Castro, director of the state enterprise Labiofam.

The entity isn’t a burden to the state given that it has been self-financing for over 18 years, and the investments the country is currently making, which amount to more than 50 million pesos, come from the institution’s own revenue, the director stated.

To reduce costs, a warehouse in disuse, previously serving as storage for agricultural equipment, was used to construct the plant. In addition, a significant portion of the metal structure and cables used in the facility came from disassembled nickel factories, commented Adrián Hernández Calzadilla, director of Labiofam’s Holguín branch.

The commitment to recycle available resources transformed an old warehouse into a promising industrial installation.

The plant, built in Guaro, is the product of the ingenuity of Cuban specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture. The fundamental pieces of equipment were supplied by a foreign company, with ample experience in the assembly and operation of similar plants. The plant, equipped with efficient technology, is the principal component of the area’s Agricultural Complex, also including an Entomopathogens and Entomophages Reproduction Center, fully renovated and outfitted with new equipment.

Later, in response to the municipality of Mayarí’s Comprehensive Development Program, a center to process biopesticides and biofertilizers from microorganisms will be constructed, revealed Adrián Hernández. The plant’s structural map allows visitors to understand the production process. The facility is composed of exterior platforms (covered and open air), to dry the raw material which is later taken to a warehouse, to then undergo the pressing and extraction process.

Finally, the oil obtained is taken to the formulation area, where products such as OleoNim 80 - to eliminate whitefly, mites and general parasites which attack vegetable, coffee and citrus plantations - are manufactured, stated Adrián Hernández. The oil is also used as a base for shampoo and other medicines, creams and lotions.

Today, the municipality is able to produce 2,600 tons of Neem seeds, with 840 hectares - which will increase to 2,000 - according to plans to meet the facility’s needs, designed to crush eight tons of seeds a day, as soon as another set of presses is installed.

The Neem tree has a productive cycle of three months and is harvested from the end of June through September, with industrial processing taking place from October-December.

With the objective of avoiding stoppages, the plant therefore has another production line, equipped with the necessary presses and filters to process sesame, peanut and sunflower seeds, during their respective harvest periods. This is how edible oils are obtained. The solid mass which is left after the raw material has passed through the presses will not be wasted. What is leftover from the sesame seeds will be used to make delicious sweets, and from the sunflower and peanuts to make protein rich feed.

At the end of June, when specialists from the supply firm declared the plant ready for operation, the processing of sunflower seeds began, a task previously contracted out to companies around the country, once a common practice in the case of peanut and sesame seeds.

The immediate task for the 86 staff members is to unite, as there are targets to be met, which cannot be left until the last moment.

An investment feasibility study suggests that, after two years of production, it will be possible to export Neem oil and its derivatives. In order to do so the manufacturing process must meet the globally accepted ISO quality norms.

Another step is to register and patent all principal products and their derivatives, in addition to their gradual incorporation into the country’s network of retail outlets, thus giving the population access to these products.

Engineer Julio Antonio Quiala Céspedes, head technician, is certain of the future success. The creation of the plant has given him the opportunity to continue his professional development, after the closure of the Nicaro nickel factory, where he had worked for 17 years.

The technology at hand, he said, is easy to understand and operate, which, among other benefits, helps workers with no previous experience quickly acquire the necessary production skills.

The future depends on a stable supply of raw materials, and the availability of other resources, among them replacement parts. Céspedes stated that daily care of equipment, as well as timely planning and execution of maintenance, are a priority.