Peru is the world’s leading producer and exporter of quinoa, with its main markets being the United States and Europe, among other countries. Recently, Peru’s Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation (Midagri) said it plans to increase national quinoa consumption to 10 kg per person per year to address malnutrition.
Peruvian newspaper El Peruano reported on August 14 that Midagri Minister Andrés Alencastre pointed out that quinoa, a traditional grain produced in the Andean region, has a large amount of protein and nutrients. Currently, however, the country consumes less than 3 kg of quinoa per person per year. In order to reach the consumption target of 10 kg per person per year, it is necessary to promote the domestic quinoa market and involve small producers in the production and processing of quinoa. To this end, Midagri signed an agreement with the Coopin Cabana (a cooperative of 41 producers dedicated to organic quinoa production) of the Puno region (Agroindustrial Cooperative) to finance the establishment of its quinoa processing plant. The plant has now been completed and Alencastre was present at the inauguration ceremony.
The mission of Midagri is to promote agricultural and rural development “from the bottom up”, that is, through communities, cooperatives or other forms of associations, according to Allen Castlereagh. In the last 10 years, through the Agroideas program, Midagri has carried out 197 business projects in the Puno region, benefiting 5,973 families with an investment of 81.3 million soles. This year alone, 14 projects are planned, with a budget of over 4.8 million soles, benefiting 581 farming families.
Alencastre added that a food policy for anemia and malnutrition is also necessary to improve the malnutrition of a part of the country’s population.
Source: SouthAmerica.com
Post time: Aug-24-2022