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PRESS ROOM
Calendar 3/9/2024

MinAgriculture and UPRA advance in the implementation of the APPA in La Guajira

MinAgriculture and UPRA advance in the implementation of the APPA in La Guajira

In La Guajira, 79,961 hectares have been declared as APPA in eight municipalities.

Villanueva (La Guajira), (@UPRAColombia, @claudialili76). With the aim of detailing the progress of the implementation plan for Food Production Protection Areas (APPA) in eight municipalities of La Guajira, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MinAgricultura) and the Unit of Rural Agricultural Planning (UPRA) met with the Agriculture secretaries and other municipal officials, as well as the Governor's Office of the department, to explain each phase of the development of this plan. 

Dora Inés Rey Martínez, Technical Director of Social Land Planning and Rural Land Market at UPRA, stated: “The implementation plan aims for these areas to fulfill their purpose, which is food production, improving agricultural productivity; but also achieving the rural development of these territories and improving the quality of life of our farmers.” 
 
In total, there are three actions outlined, which the UPRA technical director explained: “The first is to provide the information and maps to the municipalities so that each planning or agriculture department can make use of them. Additionally, we plan to establish an online information service for permanent consultation through SIPRA.” 
 
On the other hand, "The implementation plan involves technical assistance for each municipality and the Government of La Guajira, related to the incorporation of APPA into the territorial planning instruments; a task that UPRA will begin to work on with the technical teams of each territorial entity, accompanying them in this process starting from the second week of September,” assured Rey Martínez. 
 
Lastly, MinAgricultura will be supported in formulating an action plan aimed at integrating all the efforts of sector entities in the department, municipalities, and public and private sectors, with the goal of consolidating efforts related to rural agricultural development, productive projects, equipment, infrastructure, and technological development of the region. 
 
Regarding this, Jorge Armando Figueroa Angarita, Secretary of Economic Development of the department of La Guajira, commented: "We are very happy in the department, considering that this is taking shape. We already have a resolution that essentially outlines the public policies with which we will begin to work and make this a reality, with the work of UPRA being fundamental, to start forming that action plan among all the municipalities." 
 
Jubal Mendoza Gutiérrez, Secretary of Economic and Rural Development of the municipality of San Juan de César (La Guajira), specified: “Now we must create an action plan, in which all the actors in the economic and productive sectors must be involved, so that we can link all those interests and turn them into realities, projects that can be productive, with technical and technological capacity, to deliver products to the region and be economically sustainable.” 
 

Declaration of the APPA in La Guajira 

In July 2024, MinAgricultura, with the technical support of UPRA, declared 79,961 hectares in La Guajira as new APPA, distributed in the rural areas of eight municipalities as follows: 
 

  • San Juan del Cesar: 15,846 ha. 

  •  Fonseca: 10,519 ha. 

  •  Distracción: 3,828 ha. 

  •  El Molino: 9,535 ha. 

  •  La Jagua del Pilar: 10,571 ha. 

  •  Villanueva: 14,488 ha. 

  •  Urumita: 10,238 ha. 

  •  Barrancas: 4,933 ha.​