Headlines/June 25, 199]

College hosts two Ecuadoran food scientists

Agriculture is Ecuador’s second
largest industry and a mainstay of the
economy, but losses are incurred each
year because of inadequate storage and
distribution facilities, and poor quality
control and standards.

The Ecuadoran government is out to —
reverse some of these losses by
improving performance in these sectors,
and has sent two food scientists to
Canada to study the agriculture and food
industry here.

Fraser Valley College’s International
Education department is coordinating
the Fraser Valley section of the tour,
arranging for the Ecuadorans to visit the
food processing and distribution
operations of several companies,
including Canada Safeway and Pilsbury..
The South Americans are also meeting
with counterparts from Agriculture
Canada. The visit is sponsored by the
Canadian International Development
Agency.

“Agriculture and food processing
have been identified as a priority for
enhancement within Ecuador’s
economy,” says FVC international
education coordinator Karola Stinson.
“By sharing information with the
visiting professionals, Canadian
companies will help them to implement
necessary improvements in Ecuador.”

The Ecuadorans, Flor Salazar and
Henry Troya, work for a government
food regulatory agency. They are
spending five weeks in the Fraser
Valley/Lower Mainland and five weeks
in the Okanagan.

“Tt’s interesting for us to see how
quality control, packaging, product _
handling, and transportation work, both
inside and outside the plant,” says
Salazar.

“Here you have a good system for
getting the food from the farmers to the
different packers, and for quality control
and detecting defects,” adds Troya. “In
Ecuador, farmers don’t have materials
for measuring the product; they just look
at it to sort it.”

Ecuadorans make up for a relative
lack of technology with pragmatism: in
place of refrigerated trucks, they trans-
port dairy products at night to avoid the

Henry Troya, left, and Flor Salazar.

sun,

Distribution in Ecuador is more
direct, as well. Food is generally brought
straight to the supermarket from the
farmers’ fields, without going through a
distribution centre.

The pair would like to see the
Ecuadoran industry become more
organized through the establishment of
farmers’ associations and co-ops.

“It’s especially important to improve
our organization because we export a lot
of fresh produce,” says Salazar. :
Currently, produce is sometimes refused
entry into the United States because it
fails to meet import standards and
regulations.

Ecuador’s main food exports are
bananas, coffee, cocoa, broccoli, and
other fruits and vegetables.

While in the Fraser Valley, the
Ecuadorans are being billeted through
FVC’s home-stay program. Salazar’s
hosts are Bob and Dolly Peters of
Abbotsford, and Troya is staying with
Aina Holmes.

“Fraser Valley College has made this
a very good trip for us,” says Salazar.
“The staff have worked very hard to
help us connect with all the different
companies. We’re very thankful that the
college and CIDA have made it possible
to get to know the Canadian people and
food industry better.

United Way thanks

Mission Community Services and
Abbotsford/Matsqui Community
Services both pass along thanks to
employees who donated to their
organizations through the Fraser Valley
United Way.

Services provided through
Abbotsford/Matsqui Community
Services include family programs, the
food bank and Christmas bureau,
seniors’ services, Meals on Wheels, and
a recycling depot.

Funds also went towards the
organization’s building program and the
lottery loss reduction.

Group RRSP

The Fraser Valley College Group
RRSP is now in place and ready to work
for you. It offers features such as payroll
savings, flexible contributions, spouse
membership, and creditor protection.
For more information call Linda Dix at
4206 or Barry Bompas at 4508.