Photo: Revista Minería y Energía
Since 2020, the Association of Agricultural Producers of the Native Community of Puerto Rico has worked to strengthen the plantain value chain in the Cusco region. Under the Payanty brand, local producers have managed to transform this traditional crop into quality flour and chifles.
The project not only seeks to improve income, but also to offer sustainable alternatives to the community. Today, Payanty is not only a brand of banana products, but a reflection of a community that has decided to commit to long-term sustainability and well-being.
César Condori Quispe, president of the association, recalls the beginnings: “The road has not been easy, we received a project from the municipality in 2020 to improve plantain production, and in 2021 we formalized the association. When the project ended in 2023, we decided to move forward and continue improving our products.”
César adds that with the support of local authorities, such as the Municipality of Megantoni, they were able to set up a store and acquire machinery to process plantains, allowing the community to maintain its production and marketing.
New paths for development
The association has been key to the economic evolution of Puerto Rico, a community that historically depended on activities such as logging:
Our grandparents worked in logging, but with Payanty we have found a different way to generate income without damaging our environment. We are proud of what we have achieved”, says César.
At the Payanty plant, the women are the ones who transform the plantain into products such as chifles and flour. “They are the ones who produce the most, while the men work on the crop. Many of these women are mothers and have found in this work a source of income that allows them to support their households and ensure a better future,” says César Condori.
Photo: Payanty
Entrepreneurs for Nature, a contest that promotes the sustainable use of resources in Natural Protected Areas, has found in the Payanty project an opportunity to strengthen the banana value chain and promote local sustainability.
Thanks to the support of Entrepreneurs for Nature, the association will be able to improve its infrastructure and promote its products at regional fairs. “Profonanpe and SERNANP are helping us to continue growing and to become an example of sustainability in the Amazon,” concludes César.
