Luis Gabriel

Luis, aged 48, is single and from Zamora. His family-run enterprise combines a greenhouse - where he produces and sells cacao, coffee, and orange seedlings - and the rearing of pigs for local sale.

Luis began several years ago with small plantings and few animals, gradually expanding his production. Day-to-day, he manages sowing, transplanting, irrigation, plant-health control, and sales, as well as care of his herd of pigs (feeding, mucking out and biosecurity). In peak seasons he plans to hire temporary help to sustain efficiency.

In financial terms, the micro-enterprise’s monthly income is around £525, with operating expenses of £315, leaving a profit of about £210. The household income is supplemented by £300 he earns as a builder, and family expenses total £239. Through discipline, Luis has diversified crops, increased pig rearing, and consolidated a base of local clients with regular sales.

Luis' main challenges remain limited capital to expand the greenhouse and the pig unit, and constraints in transport and access to wider markets. So, he has applied a loan to buy agricultural inputs, fund greenhouse expansion and infrastructure, and purchase supporting tools. This working capital will increase his production volume and turnover, improve biosecurity and animal welfare, and enable him to meet demand with better lead times and quality. Luis undertakes to repay the loan in 24 monthly instalments.