Pineapples are one of the products included in a government scheme to convert more than 1,400ha of coca plantations to legal crops. The Productive Reconversion Programme, led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Tourism (Minagri) aims to provide profitable, sustainable alternative to more than 1,300 growers in Peru’s Valleys of the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro rivers.
Under the programme, growers switching to pineapples will receive a monthly payment of around US$200 per hectare towards the cost of converting farms for a period of 17 months, while those switching to coffee and cocoa will receive the payment for 36 months.
“This voluntary scheme provides a means of enabling farmers to enter legal production and improve their income and quality of life, as well as change the image of the region,” the government said in a statement.
