Peru

Income Generation through Guinea Pig Farming

As a continuous project since the last year, ICA Japan participated in the project PROCUY, which aims to enhance agricultural activities especially around guinea pig production at eight communities in the Fortaleza Valley, Bolognesi and Recuay provinces, Ancash department.

Training on Forage

Ms. Rubi Mercado took care of the seminar on forage crops for guinea pig farming.

In Sequespanpa people are practicing the appropriate way to cultivate the land.

Ms. Mercado explains the importance of getting rid of weeds. They steal the nutrition for forage crops and house the pests.

The expert examines native plants in the field of Chasquitambo that might be the substitute to the forage.

Ms. Mercado is working on demonstrative training in Huaquish. The preparation of the soil and the sowing.

The expert is teaching how to select the seeds to enhance the rate of germination in Chasquitambo.

Leadership Seminar

A street of San Marcos where the leadership training was held.

The Leadership Seminar was held from Nov. 21th to 25th. Local people were also invited and stimulated by the activities realized in Fortaleza Valley.

The participants are relaxing themselves outside of the seminar hall. Behind them you can see the mountain of Antamina, the biggest copper mine in Peru.

Mr. Muro is teaching the commercialization of guinea pig farming. Through this project the output has been increasing, and now the marketing is the important theme.

A graph that shows the current importers of Peruvian guinea pig meat. The United States takes 98.86% and the rest goes to Japan where there is big Peruvian communities.

During the lecture of irrigation system, a participant from Chasquitambo examines a PVC pipe that consists the system.

Mr. Gomero took care of the lecture of irrigation system. He introduced INIA system which can be installed with small amount of cost.

After the lecture each village made plans to install the system. Combined with the seminar of forage they tended to use in the forage field. They calculated the cost according to the size of the field.

The workshop of the "Wall of Wonder." they classified their experiences into 9 matrix. By doing so they can check in which field they have strength or weakness.

A wall with "blocks" of experiences. The participants were also interested in other people's experiences and exchanged the stories during the recess.

Technical seminar were finished in the first 3 days. Certificates were handed to them by ICA staff. They were proud of receiving that and many of them would hold it on the wall of their home.

In the 4th day the participants visited the producers of San Marcos and working site of an NGO. The people in San Marcos lacks the capacity to conduct cooperative activities as well as information.

In the ICA workshops each participant writes down their ideas on the cards. By arranging these cards appropriately they can also arrange their idea, and it facilitates to reach to the consensus in a group.

Each village submitted the activities in 2006 using above mentioned method. In addition, they checked quantitative index such as the number of guinea pigs or farms, and set the goals to be achieved at the end of year 2006.

Sequespampa team is making their schedule according to the result of activity preference.

After making plans, each village demonstrate it in front of other villagers. It enhances the degree of commitment.

Agro-Festival

Tents were stored in the ICA office in Lima. Last year we rented them but this time we purchased so that villagers can utilize it in other occasion.

Tents were set up the day before the festival. The place is the soccer field in Cajacay.

What they have learnt in a seminar. It decorate guinea pig dishes that they proudly presented.

The main of this festival is, of course, the dishes of guinea pig. In the near future, local restaurant may offer these dishes to the tourists.