Andes On The Rise: How The Haku Wiñay Program Is Transforming Potato Farming In Peru

305 000 families have mastered modern techniques, giving domestic growers a springboard into processing and export markets.

Haku Wiñay: Scale and Philosophy

Celebrated on International Potato Day (30 May), the Haku Wiñay results speak for themselves: over a decade the program has trained 305 181 rural families across 19 mountain departments. The curriculum ranges from soil preparation and eco-friendly crop protection to producing high-grade seed and building new market channels.

The Role of the yachachiq — “Field Masters”

Each community is paired with a yachachiq: a practising farmer-trainer who sets up small demonstration plots and mentors neighbours in a peer-to-peer model. The combination of cultural proximity and hands-on coaching has boosted adoption rates far beyond traditional extension services.

Case Study — San Juan de la Libertad: Seed + Marketing = Higher Income

In Huasahuasi (Tarma province, Junín region) local growers, backed by Foncodes, shifted from bulk tuber sales to certified seed of native varieties. With collective investment in seed coolers and small processing lines, they now earn premium margins from seed sales and value-added products such as chips, flour and instant purée — a leap from “harvest fighting” to a diversified business model.

What We Have Already Seen on POTATOES NEWS

50 tons of seed for the Papa Nativa project in Huánuco proved that strengthening the genetic base is step one.
127 demonstration plots spread over 50 ha in the same Andes show that farmer training is becoming systemic, not sporadic.
An ambitious 2025 target to scale native-seed production positions Peru as a leader in sustainable highland agriculture.

Haku Wiñay dovetails with this national strategy: start with seed and knowledge, then scale through cooperative processing and branded exports.

Economic Potential

Peru counts 711 313 potato-growing households; 90 % of production comes from highland zones. If even one fifth of the trained farms move into seed and processing chains, the domestic market gains thousands of tonnes of higher-value products and mountain communities gain reasons to stay rather than migrate.

Lessons for Other Regions

Local mentors. Yachachiq bridge the trust gap and speed up learning.
Small plots, big impact. Training begins on 0.5 ha but scales through cooperatives.
Seed first. Improved seed boosts yields 20–30 % and pays back in the first cycle.
Value addition. Drying, slicing and packing native-variety chips costs less than shipping raw tubers, yet commands premium prices.

Outlook and Challenges

Cold-chain storage, certification and logistics to ports remain bottlenecks. Yet Huánuco’s progress shows that with policy support and the right science, highland agriculture can become a driver of “green” growth.

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