Germán Prudencio: “Some young people from the countryside lacked knowing how to manage a directory”

Until then, German Prudencio heads the institution, created in August 2019, which currently has 160 members from various sectors.

Last month they were incorporated into the Fegasacruz board of directors, with voice and vote, and they hope to be accepted as listeners in the CAO, and also in the Pro Santa Cruz Committee.

As a result of their institutionalization, they are also part of Farm Joven, a Mercosur agricultural training and leadership organization, a scenario in which they actively participate.

– What made you look for your own institutionality?
We felt that young people did not have a strong representation within the institutions. We also believed that there was a lack of leadership among young people, and that with this institution we could create and see the potential to be the new leaders who later go and become part of ‘mother institutions’, such as Fegasacruz, Anapo, Fedeple, Cainco, etc. .

We believe that possibly some young people, who went to large institutions, lacked a field on how to manage a board of directors, move.

– What achievements have they had?
We started holding events, we signed agreements with many institutions, with Fegasacruz, Fedeple, Anapo, the College of Agricultural Engineers, UPSA, Fundempresa, etc., for technology exchange, and different courses.

We made a very interesting agreement with UPSA, the idea is that students can go to our properties and do their internships, especially in economic and financial matters. There are not many specialists in this subject of agricultural economics.

– What peculiarities of agriculture demand this?
Within the agricultural world there are many types of businesses. Above all, there is great growth in agriculture, which has always been managed as a family business, and which in this transformation has shown that one of the great deficits is the issue of costs.

– What are their attributes compared to other generations?
The important thing is to rescue the new ideas and technologies that young people can incorporate into the field, and combine it with the experiences of the older generations, so that together we can produce more, better, and cheaper.

Today we are in the process of transforming ourselves from a family business into a company, because in agriculture we managed without much bookkeeping. With the new technologies, and with the knowledge of young people, the idea has been achieved that by investing a little more, greater profitability can be achieved. This merger is very important.

– How did you manage to enter Fegasacruz?
They introduced us as an institution affiliated with Fegasacruz. For us it is very important, it is a great step for the institution, we have formed a very strong foundation. It was an objective of the directory to stop being a WhatsApp group to be an institution.

With this, the next president of Juventud Agropecuaria will be able to cast a vote to elect the new president of Fegasacruz.

– As a new litter, what can they do against the encroachments?
We have associates from the Guarayos area currently affected. We have created a commission of ten people, from which strategies come out to support our associates on this issue.

Unfortunately, our governmental reality is not ideal, the rule of law is not respected, but we will be firm, as we have done, supporting the institutions in decision-making. We believe that our struggles should be channeled through the Pro Santa Cruz Committee.

As Agricultural Youth we are not married to any institution, we are totally free, but we have had approaches with the Committee, and we want to present our statutes.

We understand that, by the statutes of the Committee, there would be no problem in our being part of that institution.

– Are they some kind of Junior CAO?
We’re sort of a young CAO, but we’re independent of the CAO. At the time we had approaches with the CAO and we have presented our statutes, which have already been entered, so that the lawyers of the union institution can see how we can be part of it.

Initially, the idea is that we have a listener’s seat on the board, not a voter’s seat, because our institution would not bear the monthly fee that must be paid, since the CAO is a mother institution, which is strong. We are still in a process of adaptation and training.

Being listeners, listening to the problem, and also giving an opinion, although without a vote, it is more certain that we can generate new ideas for the benefit of the sector

Germán Prudencio Marzana is a commercial engineer from UPSA, with a master’s degree in Business Administration in Madrid. He works at Cabaña Nelorek, where he is in charge of the area
genetics. He has been in the agricultural sector for nine years. He is the first elected president of Juventud Agropecuaria and will pass the baton to
end of March.