This exchange addressed issues of common interest such as planting, crop management, harvesting, post-harvesting and marketing.

Central America, December 8, 2020, the Andean Organic Products Production Association (APPOA) of Marka Kasillunka exchanged ancestral experiences and knowledge among Producers of the Municipality of Jesus de Machaca, Ingavi Province and producers of the Municipality of Caquiaviri, Pacajes Province of the department of La Paz, on the production and marketing of Cañahua, where topics of common interest were addressed such as: planting, crop management, harvesting, post-harvesting and marketing.

The objective of the event was to contribute to the strengthening of knowledge and synergies among cane producers based on: traditional experiences, best agricultural practices and lessons learned, in production and marketing processes of both municipalities.

35 people attended including women and men (cañahua producers from communities, ayllus and markas, local authorities, local innovators, APPOA representatives and technicians from both municipalities). The exchange of experiences between producers was organized by the PROINPA Foundation, under the framework of the project "Resilient Production, Marketing and Consumption of Cañahua and Tarwi" funded by Euroclima+ of the European Union.

The participants were received by Luciano Alvarez, Mallku of the Marka Kasillunka, who inaugurated the event saying: "Welcome to the exchange of ideas, we welcome all who arrived and today we will talk about the production of Cañahua".

Rene Humeres Tiñini, President of APPOA, after 9 years of hard work expressed her experience in marketing: "We got started and for three years our association provided the complementary breakfast to the Municipality of Caquiaviri, but for political reasons they prevented us from continuing with this service. In 2014 – 2015, thanks to the support of the institutions we took cooked food to the Municipality of Chuma - Ayata as a complementary breakfast. Then we arrived at the external market, through national food companies, the Cañahua product was shipped at a promotional price and because of social problems and the pandemic we are inactive. The weakness in Cañahua production is that there is no stable market."

APPOA was founded on May 3, 2011, it belongs to the Municipality of Caquiaviri and has Legal registration, 3 allied institutions such as: PROSUCO, Samaritan's Purse and PROINPA, supported their participation in the projects.

Testimonies

Clara Peñasco, from the San Pedro de Tana Community, Jesús de Machaca Municipality, "When we came today we saw that they have a lot of space, they sow Cañahua in furrows, in this way they get more water. We've seen animals, too. They plan alfa for their fodder, how nice they live... carry on."

Dionicio Manchaqui, of Antaquira Villa Belén, Caquiaviri Municipality, "thank you for joining us, I am here to learn about the benefits of Cañahua... it has omega 3 and 9, it is rich in calcium 20%, a nutritious food, we have to consume it to avoid metabolic diseases that exist today."

Vidal Luna, Administrator of APPOA, "we thank you for your visit brothers of Jesus of Machaca. We have to produce big and for this we must think about market, the domestic market is small, but you must maintain cleanliness and prevent worms. It's up to us - how to produce, if we work well, production will be good and we will get ahead.”

Felicidad Mamani, Vice President of APPOA of the Marka Kasillunka, Caquiaviri Municipality, "Today I came to receive the visit that has come from the Municipality of Jesus of Machaca, they work on the production of canehua and so do we. Two municipalities have met today to learn how cañahua is produced in this municipality and how their municipality exchanges ideas. For me it has been very important that we get to know each other and talk about Cañahua"

Valentín Zenteno, of the Parina Arriba Community, Jesús de Machaca Municipality, said the following: "Today we find two municipalities, Jesús de Machaca and Caquiaviri in the Kasillunka village, where APPOA was formed to produce Cañahua and bring it to the consumer, for us an example, there in Jesus de Machaca we have not yet formed an association, tomorrow we will form one. They have good ideas for producing Cañahua and for taking it to market we would have to help them, the GAM Caquiaviri has forgotten this association, but on its own merits they have moved forward, they got their legal entity..and are are moving on. We will unite as producers of Cañahua to work together, relying one each other to bring the product to market, we can no longer work alone."

More information

Pablo Jesús Rossendy Roja, Communicator of the Euroclima Project - "Resilient Heritage of the Andes, Cañahua and Tarwi", This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Beatriz Juanes, Jules Bismuth - Asistencia Técnica comunicación, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Pie de foto 2: Reception of authorities from Marka Kasillunka to the visiting commercial commission of Caquiaviri Municipality cañahua producers from Jesus de Machaca Municipality

Pie de foto 3: Rene Humeres, explaining the experience