INTA specialists affirm that it is possible to produce quinoa and even develop varieties in San Juan, Argentina

Noted for its agroecological and phytosanitary conditions for the production of grains and seeds, the province of San Juan could advance sooner rather than later in the production of quinoa, an Andean crop that is usually concentrated in Salta and Jujuy, but that registers an increase in the demand that forces to look for other regions with favorable agro-ecological conditions for its production. With that objective, an INTA report tells that since 2013 work began in San Juan to introduce the cultivation of quinoa in the Andean and Central Valleys of the province. Nadia Bárcena, a researcher in the Ecophysiology area of INTA San Juan, considers that diversifying with this multipurpose agroindustrial crop is an “opportunity”, because it allows reducing dependence on food supply from other provinces. Is that, quinoa can be used for direct human consumption, processed with added value such as flour or milk, and also as animal fodder and cover crop. And can quinoa be produced in that ...