Peru funds alternative crops to counter drug trafficking
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
The National Commission for Development and Life Without Drugs (Devida) in Peru will spend 2,038,209 soles to support over 800 families in the regions of Puno, Cusco, and Madre de Dios.
Devida plans to improve the production of cacao and citrus fruits across 1,000 hectares in 17 communities vulnerable to illegal drug trafficking. The program includes 8,000 technical visits to farms, six farmer field schools, and 48 learning sessions.
Devida’s president, Carlos Alberto Ramos Otiniano, visited farms and aquaculture sites in San Gabán to present these activities as legal alternatives to illicit crops. The commission will establish 17 demonstration plots and 200 family modules for creating organic fertilizers, and will also plant 1,800 forest seedlings. In addition to cacao and citrus, Devida is allocating 311,000 soles to support alpaca farming for 100 families in 13 communities.
The organization intends to offer technical assistance in aquaculture, including fish feeding and water quality control. Devida hopes these actions, part of the Comprehensive and Sustainable Alternative Development Program, will strengthen local economies, though the report does not compare these results to prior interventions.
