The district of Omacha is located in the province of Paruro, Cusco region. According to statistical data, the district has a population in a 50% monetary poverty condition (INEI, 2013).
Since October 2016, Pachamama Raymi, together with the municipality of Omacha district, we are working with more than 400 families from 8 rural communities. Good progress has been made in the possession of healthy housing; the generation of successful businesses through the motivation and work of the farmers who participated in internships and learned from the peasant experts how to manage the breeding business of guinea pigs, trout and others.
Progress was also made in forestry, with the construction of 3 forest nurseries that are producing more than half a million seedlings: 660 thousand pines, 6000 avocados and 3000 Andean cedars.
Recovery of Andean cedar and expansion of native forests inoculated with morchella fungus
The project worked with 252 people from the communities of Huillque and Osccollopata.
Reforestation with native speciesOne of the main achievements of the project was the reforestation of 40 hectares with native forest seedlings. The community members planted around 47 thousand seedlings of the Andean cedar, chachacomo, queuña, t'asta and tayanca species.
Forest ConservationFor the first time the population worked on the recovery of the Andean cedar. The communities signed agreements to protect 212 hectares of native forests, preventing free grazing, logging, and fires.
85% of the community members learned forestry practices and improved their capacities for the conservation and sustainable management of native forests.
Commercialization of mushroomsIt was the first experience in the region of adequate management and commercialization of the morchella mushroom that has a very high price (more than 100 dollars per kilo in Europe). 88% of the villagers learned about the technical handling and collection, selection and drying of the morchella mushroom.
Thanks to this project we learned the factors that favor the spread of the morchella mushroom.