Gabriel Amaro Alzamora, executive director of the Association of Agricultural Producers Guilds of Peru (AGAP), in dialogue with Focus on Saturdays of RPP News, pointed out that there are many pending tasks of the State regarding national agriculture, but that it is "impossible" manage this sector with the constant changes of holders in the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri).

“In Peru, in the last 10 months, we have had 5 Ministers of Agriculture in the midst of a food crisis. It is impossible to manage a country and, above all, such an important sector with 5 agriculture ministers in 10 months”, he stated.

In this sense, he pointed out that there are many expectations with Minister Andrés Alencastre, who assumed the Ministry of Agriculture on June 6, due to his experience in the sector.

"We believe that the new minister Alencastre, who has greater knowledge of the sector, can recover that path of productivity and competitiveness that he needs and, above all, help accelerate the process of integrating small-scale agriculture into modern agriculture," he said. .

In addition, he pointed out that Minister Alencastre will have "to surround himself with specialists" to be able to unlock such important projects for agriculture as Chavimochic and Majes.

“If the third stage of Chavimochic is completed, the potential of the project in La Libertad quadruples. We are going to need a large number of workers, professionals, highways, ports and airports […] The current minister is going to have to surround himself with specialists and technical people”, he stated.

unnecessary purchase

On the other hand, Amaro referred to the purchase of urea that the Government, through Agro rural, put out to tender on May 19. According to the director of AGAP, this bidding process was "unnecessary", since other options proposed by the associations of agricultural producers could be contemplated.

“The Ministry did not have to buy fertilizers, I do not understand why it has gotten involved in buying fertilizers if it does not even have a defined distribution apparatus [...] What it should have done is an agreement from government to government to obtain the supply line and that the private logistics system for the distribution of fertilizers can operate”

In that sense, he explained that they proposed "knocking on the door" of business partners.

“Fertilizer producers with whom we have FTAs ​​like the US, China, Canada or others […] would have easily given us supply lines. And what the country would have done is subsidize those with less purchasing power, such as small farmers. That would have made it much faster. It has gotten into a buying process that is not prepared,” he stated.

In addition, he considered that the war between Russia and Ukraine cannot be considered the main reason for the lack of fertilizers, since the problem "comes from more than a year ago."

“In addition, it is not the only element that has risen among what agriculture requires to develop: fuels have risen, labor has risen, agrochemicals have risen and it is due to external factors that we cannot manage, but we can. cope with internal measures," he said.

Agricultural Festival

Gabriel Amaro invited all citizens to "Agrofest Peru", an activity organized by AGAP and whose purpose is to "integrate small-scale agriculture with formal, modern, agro-industrial, agro-export agriculture." In addition, exhibit "the entire industry of goods and services that serves Peruvian agriculture."

"There they will meet producers, with my 7 agricultural unions such as Pro-granada, Pro-arándanos, Provid and the Peruvian Institute of Asparagus and Vegetables," he said.

The event is taking place at the Videna Legacy Headquarters from June 22 to 24.