Food producer network 2020 grantee

Puerto Rico Agrotech

Agrotech is on the site of a farm that was in operation for more than 50 years before Hurricane Maria, when it was abandoned. The husband and wife team, Pedro and Patricia, set out to rescue not only the productive lemon trees that remained there, but also to rehire eight people from the community around the farm. The couple’s long-term goal is to make a dent in the more than half a million pounds of citrus fruits that are imported to Puerto Rico on a monthly basis and help build resilience into the island’s citrus industry.

The couple is now planning to plant more than a thousand new lemon trees. When these trees mature, they are expected to produce more than 200,000 pounds of high-quality, juicy lemons per year. This will help eliminate the need for imported fruit and provide a long-term benefit to the island’s economy, as well as to the environment.