An initiative promoted by the Organic Banana Agro-industrial Innovation project, executed by the APBOSMAM Agrarian Cooperative and Cedepas Norte within the framework of the Swiss Cooperation SeCompetitive Program (SECO), has helped more than 3,000 small organic banana producers in Piura improve their production quality and venture into the export of agro-industrial products.
After more than three years of sustained work with the 15 organizations, guilds, and actors of the organic banana chain in the region of Piura, this project comes to an end.
Karlhos Quinde Rodriguez, the manager of the project, presented the results of the initiative. Small producer organizations managed to export the first pilot container of organic banana puree to the European market, and form a central cooperative for the creation of a company that will be responsible for the commercial operation of banana derivatives to the international market, he said.
In addition, he said, technological innovations were implemented for the improvement of field production and post-harvest processes, using bio ferment technology to improve soil and ozone nutrition and the quality of fruit washing water.
They also carried out research on the use of biochar (charcoal) and plant coverings (legumes that can be sown in banana fields), for the improvement of production systems.
Ivan Mifflin of the SeCompetitive Program – Helvetas Peru said that 1,478 producers received training and technical assistance in the implementation of good agricultural practices and manufacturing, improving the efficiency of irrigation and post-harvest management and that 51 producer organizations and public and private institutions had strengthened their knowledge and skills for the improvement of governance and their internal management, with emphasis on cooperativism.
Within the framework of the project, the organizations implemented adaptation and mitigation measures against climate change, with a circular economy approach, and managed to reduce the banana industry's emission of greenhouse gases by 6%.
Source: andina.pe