INEI: Peru’s economy up 3.63 percent in January

Peru’s economy grew by 3.63 percent in January compared to the same month in 2009, the National Statistics and Information Institute, or INEI, said in a statement.
The increase in Peru’s gross domestic product was led by the country’s construction sector, which expanded by 10.17 percent.
Construction’s growth in January was due to a strong internal demand [...]

City of Juliaca launches quinoa consumption campaign to tackle malnutrition

The highland city of Juliaca and local schools launched a campaign this week, aimed to increase children’s consumption of quinoa – a grain-like seed crop – in a concerted effort to tackle malnutrition in the region.
“Nowadays we export quinoa to North America, Japan, Germany, while we are negligent about domestic nutrition,” said the Director of [...]

Huanchaco farmers encouraged to take on hydroponic farming to save water

The city of Huanchaco has launched a hydroponic pilot project to help local farmers grow lettuce, radishes and other crops and, most importantly, to save water.
Only 350,000 milliliters of water will be needed to grow 250,000 lettuces, while regular farming techniques require 20 million liters of water to produces barely 100,000 lettuces, said Huanchaco Mayor [...]

Peru Agriculture Ministry launches $10 million coffee plantation restoration project

Peru has launched an ambitious $10 million coffee plantation restoration and renewal project to span over the next four years, according to Agriculture minister Carlos Leyton.
The project aims to make credit readily available to the more than 110,000 coffee growers in Peru, currently farming 370,000 hectares in the cloud forests in the central and southern [...]

U.S. lifts commercial restrictions on Peruvian dairy products

The U.S. has lifted its commercial restrictions on Peruvian dairy products – including evaporated milk and cheese – after the Andean country was certified as “foot-and-mouth-disease free,” according to Peru’s National Agriculture and Sanitation Service, Senasa.
“We were finally able to meet the terms of their sanitation regulations satisfactorily,” said Glen Halze, director of Senasa’s Plant [...]

Climate Change Adaptation Program to be implemented in Departments of Cuzco and Apurímac

Peru’s Environment Ministry and Switzerland’s Agency for Development and Cooperation, or Cosude, are to implement a Climate Change Adaptation Program in Peru’s Departments of Cuzco and Apurímac, daily La República reported Monday.
“By ratifying the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, Switzerland has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting [...]

Peru departments of Tacna and Moquegua declare state of emergency because of fruit fly plague

The southern departments of Tacna and Moquegua have declared a 150-day state of emergency because of a fruit fly plague that has spoiled peach, papaya, orange and mandarin crops, daily Peru21 reported Thursday.

Frost and hail destroy more than 12,000 hectares of cropland in highland region of Puno

Extreme temperatures continue to wreck havoc in Peru’s southern altiplano, where frost and hail have destroyed more than 12,000 hectares of cropland since January, state news agency Andina reported on Thursday.
In Puno – where 260,000 hectares of land have been seeded – 12,000 hectares of mainly potato crops have been destroyed, and 700,000 affected by [...]

Agriculture Ministry opens public debate on use of genetically modified seeds

The Ministry of Agriculture is calling for a public debate on the use in Peru of genetically modified seeds and crops. It has posted a draft on its website on regulations governing biotechnology and security. The document covers the procedures for importing, trading, producing and research of Genetically Modified Organisms, GMOs.
Carlos Leyton, the minister of [...]

Policeman charged for shotgun murder of campesino protesters during February farmers strike

A local prosecutor in Ayacucho has filed murder charges against a police officer for the deaths of two farmers gunned down during a national farmworker’s strike last February.
The criminal charges represent an embarrassing blow to Interior Minister Luis Alva Castro, who was hauled before Congress. He issued a blanket denial to avoid a vote of [...]

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