On behalf of PERU-Hub, Mg.Sc. Rosemary Carpio, coordinator of the Food Transformation Component and Julio Segura MBA, Technical Field Coordinator, visited the district on the left bank of the Mayo River in the province of Moyobamba (San Martin) to learn about the vanilla production process at Finca Don Pepito, This enterprise is located in the San Martín region and is part of a community model called Asociación de Conservación de Aguajales y Renacales del Alto Mayo (ADECARAM), better known as Tingana, where Dino Cabrera, the company’s representative, told us how they have been investing in forest products such as vanilla and agrotourism.
Currently, Finca Don Pepito is producing vanilla pompona grandiflora, a scientific name that is related to the large size of the species. As the fruit is produced naturally in the forest, there is no need to cut trees, making it a profitable and environmentally friendly crop.
For this reason, the Don Pepito farm has given value to this species as an example to society that the forest is an opportunity for the production of forestry products, medicinal plants or the harvesting of orchids such as vanilla, which can boost the economy of local communities, in order to develop products that can be sold on the national and international markets.
The vanilla production process takes approximately 7 to 8 months, depending on weather conditions and good quality control management in the field to continue with the pollination process and become pods, which once dried produce a rich aroma and are ready for post-harvest and market distribution.
PERU-Hub aims to integrate farmers and producers in the Huallaga Valley into value chains, transferring knowledge and strengthening their capacities through sustainable production of crops such as vanilla.
