Malleco's soil and climate is ideal for fruit and vegetable cultivation and small farmers in the province are taking advantage of these perfect conditions to diversify their production and invest in new varieties to increase their income.
Now seven producers in the commune of Angol are turning to aparagus, a low calory vegetable that has become increasingly popular because of its high content of nutrients, antioxidants, and because it is rich in vitamins and fiber, among other properties .
Currently, the crop is in its harvest stage, and it has a good production volume and profitability. Producers have an average crop area of 1 hectare, and yields of about 7,000 kilos of asparagus, which they sell on their properties throughout the season.
"Before, I produced cereals, tomatoes and beans. Now, I work with asparagus because it doesn't require much labor; we only need it in the harvest period, which takes place between September and December. It is very profitable because I sell it here to a single buyer," said Pedro Hernandez, a producer from Los Confines.
He said that the support of the INDAP had been key in his work and that it had allowed him to improve his crops. "They have been very supportive . They've given me resources and technical assistance, which is very important, because I can call an advisor whenever I have any questions and they tell me what to do to improve my production."
During a tour of the production area, where he participated in the harvest of the crop, the regional director of INDAP, Christian Núñez, highlighted the growers' capacity to seek new production alternatives. "We can see a change in the way farmers produce, a change in target market. The INDAP has supported producers with investment and with specialized technical assistance that has allowed the farmers to produce 7 tons per hectare. This generates labor recruitment, improves their quality of life, and their family income."
This season, small farmers plan to harvest 56,000 kilos of asparagus in 8 hectares. It is sold in packages of 1 kilo, with an average value of 1,000 pesos, selected as first and second category, according to the diameter of the shoot.
Producers have been able to consolidate their crops thanks to the support and specialized technical advice of the INDAP, as well as through the Development of Investment Program (PDI), which has given them resources for the acquisition of plant material, purchase of fertilizers, and specific agrochemicals for pest control, among other things.
The production of this plant is still new in La Araucanía, but this category is expected to be a business alternative for family farming in the future. According to INE figures, there is a production of 40 hectares of asparagus in the region. The area planted in the country exceeds 2,100 hectares, and the biggest concentration of crops are in the largest farms, between the regions of Bio Bio and Los Lagos. The producers of asparagus don't have to depend on the external market because of the high demand there is for this product, the good prices it has, and the small farmers' ability to innovate in the area.
Source: canaldenoticias.cl