Progress 04/01/24 to 03/31/25
Outputs
Target Audience:During the second year of the project, the target audience was farmers and students. These groups were selected for their direct relevance to the project's objectives.We continued making farm visits to work directly with farmers and identify their training needs. These visits helped resolve concerns and strengthen relationships with the agricultural community. The visits were to Conejeras Rabitos, Pilgrim's Hatchery Aibonito, Agrofe Ciales, PR, and Hacienda La Sierra. Workshops were also offered for both farmers and students. The main topics were biosecurity and animal welfare. These workshops were designed to be practical and easy to understand, encouraging active participation and hands-on learning.For students, the activities helped connect classroom knowledge with real-life situations in agriculture. Through these efforts, we shared science-based knowledge in a way that was useful and accessible to the people involved. Additionally, during the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) activities, we promoted the opportunities offered by the proposal for farmers, such as training and tuition benefits. Changes/Problems:There have been no major changes in the overall goals or direction of the project. However, the implementation timeline experienced some delays due to logistical and administrative challenges, particularly in the procurement and setup of specialized laboratory equipment. These delays impacted the original schedule for launching the laboratory at the Guayama Campus and finalizing the curriculum for the professional certification programs. Despite these delays, the project team continues to make steady progress, and mitigation strategies have been put in place, including intensified planning meetings and adjusted recruitment timelines. No changes were made to the approved timeline, and no issues involving students or farmers were encountered during the reporting period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?So far, the project has provided training opportunities for students and farmers through professional development workshops focused on meat and poultry science, biosecurity, and food safety. Additionally, some initial training sessions were offered to farmers, faculty members and students, covering topics such as food security and inspection services by USDA staff, and in meat processing. The following strategies will be implemented in the next period to achieve the goals and objectives 1. Student Recruitment Student recruitment strategies will be intensified to attract potential participants. Pilot or experimental courses will be created to provide opportunities that allow students to expedite the completion of their degrees. An informational event will be hosted to promote the Center and highlight available professional development opportunities through various activities, such as the SBDTC, an agricultural symposium, informational meetings, visits to government agencies, and engagement with agronomist and agricultural organizations. The program will begin offering hands-on learning experiences for students at local farms and meat processing facilities, to help them connect theoretical knowledge with real-world practices. 2. Farmer Training Certification workshops will continue to be offered to meat and poultry farmers. Partnerships with industry experts, USDA personnel, and the Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) will be strengthened to ensure content remains relevant and updated. Farm visits and community meetings will continue to better align training activities with farmers' needs and to foster trust and participation. 3. Symposium Planning The project team will coordinate the first symposium on meat and poultry production and processing, one of the key milestones for the upcoming year. The event will serve to: Share project outcomes and updates. Promote academic programs. Strengthening ties with industry and academic partners. Increase the visibility and credibility of the center. Discuss new industry trends The symposium will also serve as a recruitment and community engagement strategy. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information about the project and its progress has been shared through university communication channels, including social media, newsletters, symposiums and community outreach events. Meetings with local farmers and community organizations helped raise awareness about the new Center and its future opportunities. These efforts have generated interest among students, farmers, and industry partners. Also, through the AgriBiz program of Small Business Center (SBDC), the project has been promoted during the various activities they organize around the Island.Information about the project and its progress has been shared through university communication channels, including social media, newsletters, symposiums and community outreach events. Meetings with local farmers and community organizations helped raise awareness about the new Center and its future opportunities. These efforts have generated interest among students, farmers, and industry partners. Also, through the AgriBiz program of Small Business Center (SBDC), the project has been promoted during the various activities they organize around the Island.Information about the project and its progress has been shared through university communication channels, including social media, newsletters, symposiums and community outreach events. Meetings with local farmers and community organizations helped raise awareness about the new Center and its future opportunities. These efforts have generated interest among students, farmers, and industry partners. Also, through the AgriBiz program of Small Business Center (SBDC), the project has been promoted during the various activities they organize around the Island. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For the next reporting period, we plan to: We will finalize and approve the curriculum for post-associate professional certifications by submitting the necessary applications to the appropriate institutional bodies. Once institutional approval is obtained, we will proceed with submitting the application to the relevant government agency for authorization to offer the academic program. The Middle States Commission will be notified accordingly. While this approval process is underway, we will develop experimental courses that will enable students to begin fulfilling program requirements. These courses will later be validated in accordance with the academic program's official standards. Complete the laboratory setup at the Guayama Campus. Increase student recruitment strategies to attract potential participants. Complete 50% of the design and development of the online courses. Begin student recruitment and admissions to the new academic programs. Continue offering certification workshops for meat and poultry farmers. Continue strengthening partnerships with industry, SBTDC, and academic experts. Host an informational event to promote the center and the upcoming symposium. Launch a pilot course or training module to test teaching methods and materials. Coordinate the first symposium on meat and poultry production and processing. These actions will move the project forward toward fully launching the center and preparing a qualified workforce for Puerto Rico's meat and poultry processing industry.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this reporting period, important progress was made toward the main goal of establishing the Meat and Poultry Processing Workforce Training Center. Both campuses (Barranquitas and Guayama) have been working collaboratively to develop the academic structure and resources needed for this project. Curriculum development for minors' grades is finished, and specialized courses have been outlined based on industry standards. For the minors programs the following courses was create Meat and Poultry Marketing and Sales; Waste Management; Agricultural Waste; Meat and Poultry Processing Cutting, Packaging, and Storage; Regulation and Legislation in the Meat and Poultry Industry; Supervised Practice; Animal Production; Animal Nutrition; Animal Care. The equipment needs for the laboratories have been identified, and procurement is underway. Approximately 60% of the equipment has already been acquired. Initial outreach was conducted to identify and engage potential students and industry partners. Farm visits and community meetings helped us better understand the needs of local meat and poultry farmers. These interactions have been key to designing relevant training content and practical experiences. Coordination meetings between faculty, administrators, and industry collaborators were held regularly to align goals and plan implementation steps.
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Progress 04/01/23 to 03/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:During the first year of project implementation, emphasis was placed on identifying farmers and entrepreneurs in the meat processing industry. Impacting this audience allowed us to learn about the status of the meat industry in Puerto Rico and the need to training the workforce. In order to identify the needs of the meat industry and receive feedback for curriculum development, the project director and co-directors visited the processing and production companies La Cepa and Emprosur. The faculty was part of these visits, which helped familiarize them with the operational side of meat processing. A meeting was also held with the president of the Cooperativa de Agricultores, Mr. Angel RodrÃguez. The purpose of this meeting was to identify training needs for the pig's producers and determine possible topics for training workshops; it also made the project known to the community. A meeting was also held on February 28, 2024 with Dr. Francisco Najar, a meat science specialist from the University of Kansas. This time the intention was to learn how Dr. Najar could support the design and development of the curriculum. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The opportunity that this project has offered during this year to establish work plans for the achievement of objectives has allowed the development of leadership and project management skills. In addition, the coordination of visits to farms, processing companies and meetings with farmers has resulted in learning experiences for project staff. For example, staff learned about the operation of equipment to assemble a meat processing line, the design of the processing line, quality and safety aspects, and about the state of the industry in Puerto Rico, which lacks qualified personnel. The faculty was also part of these learning experiences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During this first year the project has been in the process of planning its implementation, according to the timeline. For this reason, emphasis has been given to following the work plan that proposes strategies to determine how the project will be implemented in the coming years. To publicize the project, information dissemination means have been used such as e-mail, field visits, meetings, student orientation, brochures, official campus activities, the campus magazine Conéctate con Inter Barranquitas and promotion on the campus web page. In these communications, farmers, industry, the university community and the community in general have been informed about the objectives to be achieved and the steps taken to date. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For the next operational year of the project, it is planned to address the core of this project, which consists of the final review and implementation of academic programs, post-baccalaureate certifications and training workshops to achieve the development of a labor force in the production and processing of meat and poultry. To this end, we intend to do the following: Recruitment of a curriculum design specialist Hiring of a meat science specialist. Academic offerings of new programs: (1) minor degree in meat and poultry production; (2) minor degree in meat and poultry processing with marketing; (3) post-baccalaureate certifications in meat and poultry production and processing; (4) training workshops for farmers. Continue faculty training. Beginning of the first phase of development of distance learning courses. Recruitment of undergraduate students in the Barranquitas and Guayama campuses for minors. Field visits to farms and processing companies. Collaborative agreements will be processed with industry entrepreneurs to serve as practice centers for the students.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In Puerto Rico, for decades, food security has represented a risk by depending more than 80% on imports. This is aggravated by the natural phenomena that affect the island every year; an example of this was Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, disasters from which Puerto Rico's economy and infrastructure have yet to recover. This project aims to serve the meat and poultry industry in Puerto Rico with skilled labor in the areas of meat production and processing to ensure food safety. The efforts made during this first year were aimed at identifying farmers and entrepreneurs in the processing area in order to create collaborative agreements that would promote the achievement of the project's objectives. In this first year of implementation, priority was given to learning about the status of the meat industry in Puerto Rico. To do that, meetings were held with associations of farmers and producers, such as the Cooperativa de Porcicultores. Field visits were also made to producer and processing companies such as La Ceba, dedicated to the breeding and processing pigs, and Emprosur livestock farm. Emprosur produces and processes livestock and sells its products to companies such as Wendys, Taco Bell, Walmart, among others. In addition, communication was maintained with the companies Ganaderos Alvarado and Tai Hay Farm to obtain their input regarding the training needs of employees to work in their companies. In parallel, statistical reports from the most recent agricultural census (2017) showing data on the status of the meat industry in Puerto Rico were analyzed. Two important findings emerged from these reports that this project aims to address (1) between 2012 to 2018 there has been a decrease in pig and poultry breeders; (2) between 2012 to 2018 meat production has decreased by 10%. For the training process for students and farmers, the meat processing laboratory began to be set up with the assembly of equipment. Visits to processing companies made it possible to align the design with the requirements of a meat processing line. This effort is intended to replicate a commercial processing laboratory, but for educational purposes. Another achievement resulting from the work plan was the development of a draft curriculum for the minor in meat production and processing and meat production and processing with marketing. Co-Pi agronomists supported this work with their expertise.
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