Apurímac: More than 50 varieties of native potato were installed in the Paymakis Agrobiodiversity Zone

In a joint effort to strengthen the conservation and sustainable use of Andean genetic resources, the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA) carried out the repatriation and installation of over 50 varieties of native potato in the cultivation fields of the Paymakis Agrobiodiversity Zone, in the Apurímac region. This material had been preserved in the germplasm bank of the International Potato Center (CIP). This activity was developed with the strategic collaboration of the CIP and the INIA through the Project “Agrobiodiversity Zones as Hotspots of Genetic Resources and Resilient Agro-Food Systems in the Peruvian Andes,” promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the aim of positioning agrobiodiversity as a pillar for rural development, the inclusion of farmers, cultural revaluation, and food security in the Andes. The introduction of these varieties will strengthen local agrobiodiversity, improve food security, and allow the ...