The IICA is mourning the passing of Dr Hector Munoz Coronado and remembers him for “his sterling contributions to Agriculture in Guyana.”
According to a press release Munoz, a citizen of Mexico joined the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in February 1965 as an Animal Husbandry Specialist based in Turrialba, Costa Rica. He served in several capacities including as Director of Research of the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre.
Munoz joined the IICA Guyana office in the early 1980s as Animal Production Specialist; then went on to serve in the same capacity at the Suriname office. He is well known to farmers throughout Guyana. Munoz was instrumental in establishing the St Stanislaus College Farm Training Centre, Hydroponics Technology and the first Schools Hydroponics Competition, Vermiculture Technology, Low-Cost Biogas Digesters and improvements in the dairy industry.
Munoz’s last public appearance in Guyana was on May 12 at the IICA’s Annual Accountability Seminar at the Hotel Tower. Before his departure from Guyana he was instrumental in introducing Hydroponics at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre where efforts are being made to promote self-sufficiency at the centre. Munoz facilitated skills development in many young agriculturalists in Guyana and shared freely of his knowledge and vision, the IICA said. He was considered “a visionary, a passionate and good-humoured man, a great communicator and an excellent sportsman.”
Munoz died in Costa Rica on June 17.
