Arauca, 11/10/2021

• Executives and representatives of national agencies have participated in the progress of productive projects in the department of Arauca, in spaces such as the "Gran Feria Institucional y Agropecuaria" ("Great Institutional, Agricultural and Livestock Fair"). 

The products created thanks to the productive projects implemented by people in the process of reincorporation, in the department of Arauca, have not been left behind in the business showcases that take place in that region of the country, where the leaders and representatives of the different associations show the development of their business ideas. 

Thus, with the support of the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN), the initiatives have been prominent in spaces such as the 'Great Institutional, Agricultural and Livestock Fair', organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in conjunction with the Government of Arauca, as well as in co-working or collaborative work events, also carried out by the latter departmental agency. 

Among the enterprises showcased is the fish farming enterprise of the Asociación de Fortuleños por la Paz (AFPAZ), which to date has managed to market more than 20 tons of fish to municipalities in Arauca as well as to towns in Casanare. 

In addition, members of the Cooperativa Multiactiva Esperanza del Pueblo Araucano (COOMEPA) Cooperative and the Cooperativa Multiactiva Esperanza de Paz (COEPAZ), have also opted for this initiative, showing the public the breeding process that currently allows them to have in production, together with AFPAZ, more than 30 thousand fish of different varieties, including tilapia and cachama fish. 

“These scenarios are vital for the exchange of experiences; they are also contributing to the economic dynamics of those who are part of and benefit from productive projects. That is why, from the policy of Peace with Legality, of President Iván Duque, we are supporting and generating spaces that make visible the good that is happening in the territories with the reincorporation process", said Andrés Stapper Segrera, Director General of the ARN.

​Another sector that has been present at the business meetings is footwear, with the Pisando Firme Association, made up of 18 women (8 in the process of reincorporation and 10 from the community) who are making progress in the production of shoes of different lines, from their workshop located in one of the modules of the former ETCR Filipinas, in the municipality of Arauquita. 

Those who participate in the fairs emphasize that in addition to showing their product, it is important to receive feedback from people who come from other regions of Colombia and have more experience in the markets, thus achieving contacts that allow an enriching learning experience. 

“We are committed to our country, showing our production and we want to demonstrate to the Government that we are capable of achieving a peace process united as Colombian people", concluded Luis, legal representative of AFPAZ. 

Interesting facts:

• A total of 206 productive projects have been approved in Arauca, 201 individual and 5 collectives, with an estimated value of more than $3.2 billion, of which the national Government has contributed close to $2.84 billion Colombian Pesos.