Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Lack of rain causes electric and farming problems in Peru region

Living in Peru
Israel Ruiz

Extreme weather conditions such as too much rain to too little have affected thousands of people across Peru. Citizens have experienced everything from blocked roads to deadly landslides.

In the southern part of the country farmers are worried because there has been too little rain. It has been estimated that this year's harvest in the city of Arequipa could drop 35 percent.

Experts say that if stored water supplies are not enough to save crops, March's harvest could only be 65 percent of what it was expected to be.

This lack of water has also affected Arequipa's generation of electricity.

El Comercio daily reported that the city's demand is currently at 220MW, explaining there were times when there was a negative 20MW differential.

Adolfo de Córdova, the head of EGASA power company in Arequipa sated that hydroelectric plants were only producing 30 percent of what was expected because of a lack of rainfall.

Authorities have stated that one solution could be to reduce consumption. Plans to distribute energy-saver light bulbs were announced.

It was reported that the government would distribute these bulbs among the D and E classes, explaining they were the groups of citizens that consumed the majority of electricity in the city.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Peru Organico concerned about Monsanto's genetically engineered seeds

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Peru and Ecuador expect to remove trade barriers next week

Fresh Plaza

Peru and Ecuador will meet next week in Lima to seek ways to remove trade barriers to the entry of Peruvian products, said Monday Peruvian Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Mercedes Araoz.

“On July 3rd or 4th, Ecuador’s Minister Coordinator of Production Susana Cabeza de Vaca, and Ecuador’s Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Integration Eduardo Egas, will be coming to Lima to discuss this topic," she told Andina News Agency.

Both Peru and Ecuador governments will discuss the resolution Nº466 took by the Foreign Trade and Investment Council (Comex I) on January 19, to authorize the general and non-discriminatory application of a safeguard measure on imports to protect the Balance of Payments from all countries.

This resolution includes countries having current trade agreements with Ecuador that recognize customs preferences such as Peru’s case.

Araoz said that last Friday Peru’s Prime Minister Yehude Simon and Vice Minister of Foreign Trade Eduardo Ferreyros traveled to Quito in order to attend a preliminary meeting with those authorities to find a solution to this subject.

“We wish to study and analyze deeply the subject, and negotiate the measures to be adopted, to avoid damages to Peru or Ecuador”, she emphasized.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Peru's agro-export sector to suffer consequences of economic crisis

Living in Peru
Israel Ruiz

Peru's agro-export sector will suffer the effects of the economic world crisis, especially in the second semester of 2009, affirmed the Andean country's Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Leyton, explaining there had been a decrease in exports.

"The entire agro-export sector will suffer some type of decrease in terms of speed when compared to the rate it was progressing," said Leyton.

The minister of agriculture explained El Comercio newspaper that drops during the first semester of 2009 would not be too serious but that things would be "clearer in the second semester".

When asked which agro-exports had been affected the most, Minister Leyton mentioned asparagus, artichoke, peppers and grapes were being hit hardest by the financial crisis and were not being exported in quantities as great as last year.

"We have to wait and see what happens because there are agro-export sectors that will harvest their products in June," explained the minister.

He confirmed that Spain was not purchasing Peruvian products the way it had last year and that China had reduced the quantity of its Peruvian imports. This is affecting the development of Peruvian agro-exports.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Water services cannot be privatized in Peru

Living in Peru
Israel Ruiz

In an interview with RPP radio, Carlos Leytón, Peru's minister of agriculture, affirmed that water services could not be privatized in the Andean country.

He affirmed water was a very important resource for the development of society that was increasingly becoming scarce because of problems with climate change.

"What is completely clear is that there is now way to privatize the provision of water because according to the constitution water is a public good, it belongs to the State and the State administers it for domestic, agricultural and mining uses," said the minister.

He explained that the State was responsible for issuing licenses so that water could be used for projects.

On the other hand, the minister said the government was working on plans to make it possible for public and private companies to manage equipment and infrastructure used for watering and irrigating.

Leytón noted that dams and canals are currently run by government projects such as Pasto Grande, Majes and Olmos.

He explained there were proposals to make it possible to hand the administration of these assets to private companies.


Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Legendary Peruvian potato breeder dies

Living in Peru
Jobana Soto

He’s been known as the Darwin and the Indiana Jones of potato discovery. He has helped classify more than 12 thousand Peruvian potatoes, classifying them in 11 species that are recognized today in science. This man, Professor Carlos Ochoa, born in Cusco, Peru, has sadly passed away last week on December 11. He was highly respected as one of the major cultivators of potato in South America.

After obtaining degrees from the Universidad San Simon in Bolivia and from the University of Minnesota in the United States, Ochoa achieved many discoveries in potato cultivation that included naming one third of nearly 200 wild potato species, producing new breeding methods between Peruvian with European and American potatoes, methods that are still being used in Peru today and as well as providing crucial information to potato development.

Ochoa carried out multiple expeditions in the hopes of developing a World Bank of Potato, which is currently being maintained by the International Potato Center. The bank constitutes as the most valuable genetic source and availability of potato for the international and national community. 

Ochoa was able to increase production of potatoes in Peru by 30 to 40 tons per hectare, way more than the average 10 and 12 tons the country use to produce.

Carlos Ochoa received many international accolades, including Distinguished Economic Botanist, the William Brown award for Plant Genetic Resources, and, together with long time collaborator Alberto Salas, the Order of Merit of the Diplomatic Service of Peru.

He will be sadly missed.

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Peru Agriculture exports grow 32% totaling $327 million in October

Peruvian agricultural exports beats historical record totaling 327 million dollars in October, growing 32 percent compared to the same month last year, Peru's ministry of Agriculture (Minag) reported.

In this regard, accumulated exports between January and October have amounted to 2.2 billion dollars, registering a 29 percent increase compared to the same period in 2007.

With this result, Peru's agricultural exports have increased by 503 million dollars due to its good positioning in the international market, which despites of facing a very difficult financial situation, still maintains its economic dynamism.
 
The good performance of Peruvian exports is explained, in some way, by the high quality of products and its competitive prices, which get into the main markets taking advantage of seasonal niches presented in this second half of the year, it said.

In addition, this result shows the joint effort of the government with the private sector, and also shows something even more important, the new mentality of the Peruvian exporter which has changed its attitude before exports, which used to be very fickle and singular in businesses, it indicated.

News Source: Andina

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Peru highlights local agricultural diversity

In a press conference held Tuesday at the International Media Center (IMC) in Lima, Peruvian Agriculture Minister Carlos Muñoz Leyton highlighted the rich biodiversity that Peru has to offer.

Minister Muñoz Leyton noted the growth of Peru's agriculture sector and the importance of the potato in providing food security and alleviating poverty.

"Peru produces an average of 3.2 million tons of potatoes, which are cultivated by about 600,000 producers, mostly in the high Andean zones, that is, we have a production potential to meet both domestic and foreign market demands," he said.

Similarly, the director of the International Potato Center, Pamela Anderson, said that the potato is the third basic food consumed by people worldwide, after rice and wheat.

"Our ongoing goal is to promote the research and conservation of potato varieties in the world, especially in Peru, to ensure food security of the population," she said.

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Minister Araoz was Awarded the Golden Penguin for her work with Peruvian Exports

Yesterday the Civil Organization “Frio Aéreo” awarded Peruvian Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Mercedes Araoz the Golden Penguin award for her work with agricultural exports in Peru. The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR) has dedicated much of its time and effort to the progress of this sector.

The Minister went on to state that this recognition was owed to all those belonging to the MINCETUR group who work very hard to ensure that agricultural exporters were successful.

Araoz also commented on the difficult nature of TLC negotiations with China at the moment. She stressed her desire for maters to conclude and for Peru to have access to the Chinese export market as soon as possible.

“We know that it is the agricultural exporters who have given us the necessary support in our commercial agenda, they have been there through out our TLC negotiations regarding trade facilitation, customs regulations and the improvement and reception of foreign investment”, she added. 

Araoz also informed that Peruvian Foreign Trade Vice Minister Eduardo Ferreyros held a teleconference with the Vice Minister of China to further negotiations regarding the TLC.

“We still do not have a clear answer, there has been an exchange of information and we expect that this will all be resolved by next week at the latest. We believe that our offensive initiative might take 5 to 6 years to come into play due to the fact that some sectors of agricultural productivity are still not developed enough to cater to massive demand”
 
The terms of the TLC have been decided by working alongside with the Peruvian agro industrial sector so as to make sure that they receive the most benefits from this experience.     

The ceremony was attended by last years Golden Penguin recipients. This event takes place every year recognizing those who do stand out work related to exporting Peruvian products.

Minister Araoz was very appreciative of the award and went on to congratulate Frío Aéreo for their excellent work representing 31 agriculture export companies which tend to 80% of Peruvian exports.    

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Peru: Food prices drop in Lima markets

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

In a bulletin released by Peru's ministry of agriculture (MINAG), it was confirmed that the price of food was decreasing in Lima.

According to MINAG, products had gone down as much as 13 percent in markets in Lima.

The price of chicken, which is a great concern to the majority of Limean households, dropped to 4.20 soles per kilogram.

The prices of fruits and vegetables have also decreased. Limes, which cost 3.37 soles, have gone down 12.9 percent to 2.93 soles per kilo.

This was also the case of peas, which have gone from 2.38 per kilo to 2.10 per kilo ( an 11.58 percent drop).

MINAG reported that while the price of huayro potatoes had gone down, the prices of yellow and tumbay potatoes had remained the same.

Products that slightly went up were carrots, which saw a 6 percent increase and yellow cassavas, which increased almost 11 percent to 1.05 soles per kilo.

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