Through CIITA Veracruz, IPN Positively Impacts Producers and the State’s Economy

• Technological packages and advisory services have enhanced the production of vanilla, chiltepín, and tomatoes.

• Its presence has contributed to establishing 38 cooperatives, benefiting more than 280 producers.

Five years after its inauguration, the Centro de Innovación e Integración de Tecnologías Avanzadas (CIITA) Unidad Veracruz of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) stands as clear proof of the positive impact of science and technology on economic and social development, not only regionally in Papantla, where it is located, but throughout the entire state of Veracruz.

Technological innovation is a key element at CIITA Veracruz, and its benefits in the agricultural sector are countless. These advancements result from a formula developed by IPN experts based on collaboration with producers and technological innovation.

This approach has led to significant economic and social benefits, rooted in the wide range of services the center provides in collaboration with producers and cooperatives.

Francisco Javier Picaso Castañeda, Director of CIITA Veracruz, emphasized that the IPN remains committed to driving development, stating that the center has become a statewide benchmark in agricultural impact.

He highlighted that through technological packages and advisory services, vanilla production has increased. Specifically, 1,200 kilograms of vanilla benefited from a rapid drying technique, which significantly reduced the processing time from 3–4 months to just 48 hours, preventing producers from losing their annual harvests. The same technique was also used to accelerate the drying process for pepper.

Additionally, in the past five years, CIITA Veracruz has contributed to consolidating 38 cooperatives by collaborating with 280 producers in Papantla, Poza Rica, Tantoyuca, Xicotepec de Juárez, Martínez de la Torre, Filomeno Mata, Chumatlán, Mecatlán, Álamo, Castillo de Teayo, Tuxpan, San José Acateno, Hueytamalco, and San Rafael, among others.

IPN's support is comprehensive, as 2,068 producers have received training and advisory services in food safety, crop care, and production enhancement in Xalapa, Veracruz, Tantoyuca, Gutiérrez Zamora, Tuxpan, and Coyutla.

Furthermore, 67 advisory visits to agricultural fields have improved the cultivation of 2,820 hectares, benefiting communities such as El Remolino, Álamo, Temapache, Filomeno Mata, Belisario Domínguez, Talaxca, El Volador, Puente de Piedra, Santa Águeda, Rancho Playa, Tenixtepec, Polutla, La Guásima, La Concha, and Sombrerete.

During the same period, 40 soil analysis services were conducted to enhance soil quality. This project was carried out in coordination with the municipal governments of Gutiérrez Zamora, Tuxpan, Papantla, Tihuatlán, and Coatzintla. Additionally, IPN experts have contributed to the conservation of 32 native plant species for improved production. These are safeguarded in the Germplasm Bank, which is part of the CIITA Veracruz Agricultural Innovation Hub, a project developed in coordination with federal and state agricultural support programs.

Other achievements include the installation of six irrigation systems, ensuring efficient and sustainable water use for protected and open-field agriculture in the Totonacapan region, as well as the implementation of an integrated environmental monitoring system.

Agricultural advancements demonstrate the dedication and hard work of the Polytechnic experts at CIITA Veracruz, who, in this first five-year period, have established 140,000 maize plants per hectare for high-yield production in the municipalities of Papantla and Isla, Veracruz, in collaboration with the Veracruz State Secretariat of Agricultural, Rural, and Fisheries Development (SEDARPA).

Additionally, the center has developed seedlings for new regional crops and trained new producers, providing them with plants for cultivation. CIITA has also distributed chiltepín,

tomato, lettuce, serrano pepper, saladette tomato, zucchini squash, and vanilla plants to producers across various municipalities.

Picaso Castañeda emphasized that social benefit is a core value of Polytechnic institutions, which is why surplus produce that is not used for seedling reproduction has been donated to local organizations, including: DIF San Rafael; DIF Papantla; Papantla Elderly Home; Casa del Adulto Mayor "Divina Providencia"; DIF Shelter in Papantla; IMSS Papantla; CREAD Papantla, and Local elementary schools.

Another high-impact initiative for the region, which will have long-term social benefits, is the registration of nearly 700 young applicants from across the state seeking to enroll in undergraduate and high school programs through the Polivirtual system.

Through the Mobile Learning Unit, CIITA Veracruz has benefited over 31,000 people with programs focused on health, violence prevention, and soil improvement, in collaboration with various municipal governments. In addition, more than 5,000 runners have participated in the ONCE K race to promote physical activity and sports.

Through these and many other actions, IPN continues to fulfill its role as the "technological arm of the federal government", and CIITA Veracruz remains committed to driving the state’s development.

For more information, visit www.ipn.mx