DIRECTOR General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Mr. Víctor M. Villalobos began his second term 2014-2018, as head of the agency on January 15, the local office disclosed.Guests of honour at the official ceremony included the President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla; Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) José Miguel Insulza; Chair of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA) and Minister of Agriculture of Argentina, Carlos Casamiquela and the Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Enrique Martínez Martínez.
Villalobos, a citizen of Mexico, was re-elected as Director General of the Institute on September 25, 2013 by the IABA, which comprises the Ministers of Agriculture of IICA’s 34 member countries.
The election took place during the meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2013 held in Argentina.
Villalobos’ first term ran from 2010 to 2014 and, after the Government of Mexico nominated him for the second in June last year, he was re-elected by acclamation.
In June 2013, he pledged IICA support for the development of Guyana’s trade in agricultural products.
The pledge was made during a visit to IICA Headquarters in Costa Rica by a team, comprising Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Ramsammy, Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Dr. Oudho Homenauth; Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Mr. Dindyal Permaul and the IICA Representative of Guyana, Mr. Wilmot Garnett.
Villalobos visited Guyana in October last year during the Caribbean Week of Agriculture. Before taking office as Director General of IICA for the first time in 2010, he held senior positions at the Secretariat of Agriculture Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) of Mexico, IICA disclosed.
He has a Ph.D from the University of Calgary in Canada, and in his distinguished professional career he has specialised in issues related to agriculture and natural and genetic resources.
He has received doctorates Honoris Causa from the Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica and Paraguay’s Universidad de Asunción.