Testimony of a promoter of Andean crops
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Authors
Raul Silva
Issue Date
2012-11
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Agriculture , Food
Alternative Title
Abstract
My name is Raul Silva Osorio. I am currently living in Huanuco, Peru but I was born in Jauja, Junin. I have 20 years of experience in processing native grains. I am a food industries engineer by profession. For the past five years I have been running a company called Produsen, devoted to the transformation and marketing of Andean products of a high nutritional value like kiwicha (amaranth), quinoa, broad beans, peas, maca, cañihua, barley, lupine and tocosh, among others. Our brand name is “Productos Andinos”. I became acquainted with Practical Action ten years ago, when it had a stand in a fair in Huancayo, where I came across its publications on food processing. I acquired a few and, subsequently, downloaded some from the website. I always check the novelties in the bulletins they send me and I frequently log into the website. I have applied the downloaded publications internally in our company, as well as in the five highland communities I work with in Huanuco. They bring their products for us to process; in that way, we give them an added value and promote the consumption of Andean grains, which are not used much here. The handbooks that proved to be really useful were those on the grain dryer, the cereal dryer and product storage. In fact, we are currently testing the possibility of drying fermented potatoes in order to produce flour. This information has been very worthwhile. I shared the information I downloaded with a community situated six hours away from the city of Huanuco, where between 40 and 60 poor families live. I gave them the handbook on the pop machine, so that they can pop quinoa and broad beans. Although they had never worked with grains before, they are currently applying the manual. They have good machines, but these had been stored away because they didn’t know how to operate them. In the five communities I work with, I shared information about the importance of relying on crops that are free of impurities, as this positively affects sales. My company obtains a good price for the grains as a much better final product is obtained after processing. I think it is a good thing that Practical Action provides information, as it has helped me acquire knowledge. The information has been easy to apply under real circumstances. My cereal storage and processing skills have improved, as well as the Andean cereal processing technologies involved. My income has improved by 20%, as I am using selected raw material of a good quality, taking more advantage of the grains, reducing maintenance costs and repairing the machinery. As a result, my own clients realize that they are obtaining better products. Practical Action prompted me to move forward. Technology development in Huanuco is limited and you encouraged me to work without the need for much technology. Furthermore, the peasants I work with and with whom I shared the information are steadily improving their food intake; the malnutrition rate in these areas is high.