2024-09-03 13:26:03
Arracacheros of La Plata request government support. Farmers from the Monseagro association are convinced that arracacha has great market potential, which is why they are seeking institutional support to transform it into value-added products.
HUILA DAILY, ECONOMY
By: Gustavo Patiño
In the fertile lands of the municipality of La Plata, an ancestral tuber has emerged as a pillar of the local economy: arracacha. This crop, traditionally undervalued, has found an unexpected renaissance in the region, with production that has grown exponentially in recent years. However, this growth has been accompanied by great challenges, ranging from the lack of state support to the urgent need for industrialization to add value to the product and guarantee its profitability. In the midst of this scenario, the Moseagro Association is positioned as a key player, fighting to transform arracacha into a sustainable source of income for peasant families in the district of Monserrate and its surroundings.
You may be interested in: The perception of insecurity increases in Neiva
Arracacha, also known as Arracacia xanthorrhiza, is an Andean tuber that has been cultivated for centuries in the region. Although its popularity had declined compared to other crops, in recent years it has re-emerged as a viable option for local farmers. William Hurtado, legal representative of the Moseagro Association, points out that “right now there is a boom in arracacha. It is being harvested by the ton and practically the majority of members have their piece or their cut on their property.”
Poor marketing
However, this increase in production has not been accompanied by a market that guarantees fair prices for producers, since intermediaries often impose the purchase price on farmers. According to Hurtado, “the price is too cheap, let’s say, the sale in the supply centers is not enough, so many people think about not even picking it up, much less putting it on the market.” This situation reflects a structural problem in the marketing of agricultural products in peripheral regions, where transportation costs and lack of access to broader markets often result in the loss of crops or sales at prices that do not cover production costs.
According to Monseagro’s legal representative, one of the main challenges facing arracacha production in La Plata is the lack of institutional support. Despite the efforts made by the Association to organize and improve their conditions, producers have found little support from local and departmental authorities. “We have not been able to find a response from the State, the Governor’s Office or the municipality, directly,” laments Hurtado, who expresses the frustration shared by many farmers who see how their efforts are not rewarded.
It’s not just the arracacha
This lack of support is not exclusive to arracacha. According to Hurtado, other crops such as corn and cassava also face similar problems, with products that are wasted due to the impossibility of transporting them to markets because the balance between price and production and transportation costs is not equitable. Hurtado points out that “most of them are wasted because the price does not allow them to invest at least in the fare to take them to other municipalities, to the municipal capitals.” This situation is a clear indication of the urgent need for public policies that support small producers in the commercialization of their products, facilitating access to markets and ensuring fair prices.
Arracacha derivatives
Despite the challenges, the Moseagro Association has sought to innovate to add value to arracacha and other agricultural products from the region. Fredy Cuéllar, another leader of the association, explains that they are working on transforming the tuber into products with greater added value, such as starch, biscuits and arracacha cakes. “What we want here in the association is to set up and innovate with a grating plant that will allow us to extract starch,” says Cuéllar.
The transformation of arracacha into processed products would not only allow producers to obtain better income, but would also contribute to reducing waste in the production chain. Currently, a large part of the production is lost due to the lack of capacity to process the tuber in time. “Many times we have to throw it away,” laments Hurtado, referring to the losses that are generated when the arracacha is not harvested and processed in time, because according to him, if it is not harvested at the specific time it loses value in flavor and properties. The construction of a processing plant would allow the harvest to be used to its full potential, reducing losses and generating new products that could have a local and national market.
In the food industry
Arracacha is a product with a high nutritional content, including phosphorus, calcium, iron and a variety of vitamins. This nutritional value, together with its versatility in the kitchen, makes it have great potential in the food industry. “It is a crop that goes over if it is not pulled out in time, it begins to flower, the crop goes over and we can no longer even grate it because the product already has a different flavor that is not the same,” explains Cuéllar, who emphasizes the importance of processing arracacha in time to maintain its quality.
The transformation of arracacha into starch, for example, could open up new market opportunities. According to Cuéllar, “we are providing the starch for soups, it is a useful resource because it is widely used in gastronomy to thicken soups and add flavour.” In addition, the association is exploring the possibility of combining arracacha starch with aromatic plants, creating innovative products that could find a niche in the market for healthy and natural foods.
Despite Moseagro’s initiatives to add value to arracacha, their success depends largely on the support they can receive from government institutions. Until now, the association has faced difficulties in obtaining the necessary resources to acquire the machinery that would allow it to scale up its production. Hurtado emphasizes that “we are trying to somehow make it known that we exist, that we have the desire to work for our community and for our families and to improve the quality of life of all our associates and the region a little.”
Without machinery
The lack of adequate machinery is one of the main obstacles to the industrialization of arracacha in La Plata. Currently, processing is done in an artisanal way, which limits the association’s capacity to produce in large volumes and with the consistency necessary to access larger markets. “We are organizing a project, let’s see, it’s always a matter of levers and political issues that lead us to many issues,” says Cuéllar, who expresses the frustration of seeing how the efforts of local producers are constantly limited by the lack of resources.
Self-sustainability
Despite the challenges, Moseagro leaders are optimistic about the future of arracacha in La Plata and the department of Huila. Cuéllar speaks of the association’s vision of achieving sustainability, not only in arracacha production, but in the entire spectrum of agricultural activities that take place in the region. “We have a large activity here in the area, because we also produce, raise chickens, pigs. What we want is to become self-sustaining in the area and be an example, an example of innovation that we can do, particularly with the history of our ancestors,” says Cuéllar.
This vision of self-sustainability includes the creation of a closed production cycle, where agricultural production waste is used to feed animals, since arracacha has great potential in the production of concentrated feed, and products derived from arracacha are marketed locally and regionally, reducing dependence on external inputs and strengthening the local economy. The creation of a processing plant would not only allow Moseagro to make the most of arracacha production, but would also generate employment and strengthen the community.
Government support
For this vision to become a reality, it is essential that local, departmental and national authorities pay attention to the needs of small arracacha producers in La Plata. The industrialization of arracacha would not only benefit farmers, but could also have a positive impact on the economy of the region, creating jobs and generating new products with added value that could have a local and national market.
In addition, public policies must be implemented to facilitate access to markets for small producers, guaranteeing fair prices and avoiding crop losses due to lack of infrastructure for transportation and storage. Hurtado and Cuéllar agree that the key to the success of arracacha in La Plata lies in cooperation between the public and private sectors, and in the recognition of the potential that this tuber has to become a driver of development for the region.