TRADE AND MARKET I NG Famous Chuño provides Peruvian growers with better income INIA RESEARCHES POTATO CULTIVATION During the World Potato Congress, a study visit to the Peruvian agricultural research institute INIA, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria, in La Molina was on the programme. This research institute is in the process of registering all wild potatoes. The International Potato Centre CIP (Centro Internacional de la Papa) in Lima also has about five thousand accessions in stock which have been described. For decades, the researchers have been searching for wild varieties and regularly find new varieties in their quests in the mountains. During the tour, a lot of attention was paid to making healthy seed potatoes available, which is a challenge with the current way of cultivation. Growers often use the small potatoes again as seed potatoes, which produces an increased risk of virus infections. A modern cut-off system and having specialist seed-potato growers could offer opportunities to improve the yield quickly using clean seed. Unfortunately, the organisation of the World Potato Congress did not choose to teach the European seed potato system to the many Peruvian and other Latin American visitors to the congress. Pachamanca meal At the end of the congress, a Pachamanca meal was prepared for the participants. For this famous dish from the Andes, glowing stones from the fire are placed in a deep pit. The chef then places different types of meat, vegetables, corn, herbs and of course for making Chuño. Saldaña enthusiastically explains that they will market 30 percent of their potato yield as Chuño. The growers grade the finest potatoes, about 60 percent of the yield, which are then sold at the local market as papas nativas table potatoes. In the new location, he explains that for semiautomatic Chuño processing, a lot must be nicely uniform in order to allow the tubers to freeze well and evenly. After grading and washing, about 3 tons of tubers, mostly from the local Canchan and Chaska varieties, go into the freezer for the first time. After six to eight hours in the freezer at -10 to -15 degrees Celsius, the cooperative puts them in water for twelve to twenty days. They then go into the freezer a second time at the same temperature for six to eight hours. The tubers are then firmly brushed, so that the peel comes off, which is much more hygienic than stamping them with the feet as is the case with traditional Chuño. After washing, the growers put Ever since the Incas, the Peruvians have had a great respect for the earth and the Pachamanca meal is a tribute to Mother Earth. potatoes on them, then covers these ingredients with hot stones. To cook the ingredients, the chef and his staff close the pit with earth and long grass. The food is ready after a few hours. Pachamanca is derived from Mama Pacha, which means Mother Earth. Ever since the Incas, the Peruvians have had a great respect for the earth and the Pachamanca meal is a tribute to Mother Earth. the tubers out to dry in the covered courtyard until they have reached a moisture percentage of between 14 and 15 percent. The total capacity of the plant is 9 tons of processed potatoes a day. In addition to better control of the process, Saldaña emphasises that Coopagros can now sell the Chuño to its customers with a certificate. The certificate is also reflected on the beautiful packaging in which Coopagros packages the Chuño. He says that this is very important for the increasing number of supermarkets in the cities. Every year, Coopagros produces around 450 tons of Chuño. Because the dried peel now also leaves the factory as animal feed, the growers know how to maximise the value of almost the entire harvest. And, of course, we were able to sample the Chuño. Without the cheese, which people usually serve with it, Chuño is a small ball of dough that doesnt’really have much taste. Chuño is also widely used in the well-known soups and stews of the Peruvian kitchen. The project also received attention from the local government, as became apparent after the World Potato Congress. During this meeting, Leoncio Pichikua Quito was the only grower on the podium. His presentation meant that supplying the necessary power generator suddenly gained momentum. In addition, Trias announced that Coopagros met two new customers during the WPC, who wanted to buy their Chuño. It is clear that the WPC can be a good lobbying platform for poorer growers’ organisations. ● Jaap Delleman Potato World 2019 • number 1 21 Pagina 20
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