Peru (Ambo Province): Native Tumbay potato exported to the US company Alcampo Foods
More than 25 producers from the San Francisco de Mosca district in the province of Ambo managed to export five tons of native potatoes to the American company Alcampo Foods, at a price of S/3.50 per kilo, almost double the conventional price.
The operation represents a direct income of more than 17,000 soles for the 25 associated families, setting a precedent in the international marketing of organic Andean products.
The sale is part of the Native Potato Project, promoted by the Huánuco Regional Directorate of Agriculture (DRA), which seeks to revalue and commercially position traditional varieties such as the yellow tumbay potato, grown at more than 3,000 meters above sea level.
According to the Mosqueños Leaders Association, the shipment will be sent to Lima for subsequent export as frozen potatoes, thus consolidating an agricultural export circuit that extends from the Huánuco Andes to the North American market.
Technical support from GOREHCO
The association’s president, Jhon Goñi, explained that the partnership with the US company was achieved thanks to the technical support provided by the Huánuco Regional Government, through the native potato project team. "We are 25 partners who have been working with our yellow potato naturally, without fertilizers or chemicals, which has allowed the samples sent to pass quality control tests in foreign laboratories," he said.
Goñi explained that the exported batch comes from six provinces in the region and that the process included harvesting, selection, packaging, and health certification. "This is something that fills us with hope. For the first time, we are selling at a fair price and to an international market that recognizes the quality of our product," he noted.
The exported potato is the yellow Tumbay variety, recognized for its texture and flavor, which, according to the leader, "represents the efforts of the Huánuco countryside and highlights our ancestral practices."
20 tons marketed so far this year
According to figures from the Regional Directorate of Agriculture, this export surpasses the 20 tons of native potatoes sold so far this year. The director of the sector, Vilmia Saldívar del Águila, emphasized that this result is the result of collaborative work between the government and producers. "When technical assistance, trade channels, and fair conditions are guaranteed, the agricultural sector responds with quality and sustainability," she stated.
The official noted that support will continue to be provided to other associations interested in formalizing their production and seeking alternative markets. "The San Francisco de Mosca model demonstrates that it is possible to close economic gaps from the rural sector without losing its identity or productive sovereignty," she added.
Rural territories with high export potential
While the commercial transaction has been celebrated by authorities and producers, the association itself acknowledges that logistical, financial, and climatic challenges remain to maintain a steady flow of exports. "A successful sale isn’t enough; we need to ensure this is repeated year after year," Goñi said.
Potato producers also asked the Regional Government to strengthen access routes, cold chains, and certification mechanisms required by international buyers. "We want to continue exporting, but we need technical conditions that support us," the leader noted.
The sale to Alcampo Foods not only represents an immediate economic income for the producing families, but also highlights the agricultural export potential of small Andean farmers when they have institutional support, adequate technology, and markets willing to pay fair prices.
Fuente: Traducido por Argenpapa de: ahora.com.pe
