Peru: MIDAGRI promotes project of biofortified potatoes with iron to overcome anemia
An agreement was also signed for innovations to combat the Fusarium plague that affects plantain and banana crops in Peru.
The Minister of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, Angel Manero Campos, signed two important agreements, the first to strengthen the diet of Peruvians with potatoes fortified naturally with iron and the second, consisting of actions to prevent pests that affect plantain and banana crops.
“This is a happy day for Peru, in which we can make history, because we will value work that has been going on for a long time with two extremely important products: fortified potatoes, which give us hope of having a solution to anemia, which is related to food security and offers important financial sustainability for small producers because it opens up very large markets; and fusarium, which seeks to solve a global problem with plantains and bananas,” he said.
The first is the award of the “iron-fortified potato project to help reduce anemia” and the “innovation project for the prevention and management of tropical Fusarium race 4 in plantain and banana crops.” The first will have a total funding of US$ 253,330 and will be implemented by the International Potato Center (CIP) in partnership with the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation, the National Agrarian University La Molina, the National University of Huancavelica and the YANAPAI Association.
The second is a project on innovations for the prevention and management of the tropical Fusarium race 4 pest, which will prevent damage to plantain and banana crops, which are currently the economic support of small producers in the north of the country. This is an action by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in alliance with the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA) and the National Agrarian Health Service of Peru (SENASA). The project is funded with USD 303,500.
Both projects are promoted by the agricultural sector, as part of the actions of the agricultural policy to provide better services to small producers.
For the award of the first project, the signing was chaired by Minister Angel Manero Campos and the Director General for Science and Innovation of the International Potato Center, Hugo Campos de Quiroz.
The second agreement was signed between the head of MIDAGRI and the acting director general of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Maya Rajasekharan Janamma.
During his speech, the head of MIDAGRI said that the International Congress on Plant Genetic Resources will be held next November and that it will be an opportunity to show the results expressed in harvests and development of products that can cover the iron and nutritional deficiencies of the population, as well as potential exports to other countries.
Native potatoes against anemia
The biofortified potato project to reduce anemia will be implemented by the National Institute for Agrarian Innovation (INIA) of MIDAGRI, two renowned universities, the Yanapai Association and the International Potato Center (CIP), a scientific institution of international prestige, who will value this development of varieties of potatoes biofortified with iron (Kallpa Yawri and Puka Yawri) that contain up to 50% more iron than traditional varieties grown in Peru.
Iron-fortified varieties are resistant to late blight (fungi) and have a wide adaptation, stability and good yield. They are also highly nutritious, helping to combat anemia and contribute to a healthy diet.
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