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In the north-west of Pichincha, opportunities for entrepreneurs germinate
Posted On 21 Aug 2017
Ecuadornews:
Family entrepreneurship is one of the main economic activities booming, especially in the north of the country. Carmen Mejía looks at a coffee bag with pride. Chirapi, her product, is the fruit of a family enterprise that began five years ago when she decided to take a risk in the world of coffee plantations with her husband and children. In 6 hectares located in Pacto (Northwestern Quito), they produce about 30 quintals per hectare. In the coming months, they will have their third harvest. She remembers that at first, the production was small and they even lost part of it because they knew little on the subject.
Rómel Jumbo, a producer of fine aroma cocoa, agrees with Mejía on the importance of working together with other producers to improve production.
Jumbo, president of the Asociación Agroartesanal Nueva Esperanza in Puerto Quito, recalls that 15 years ago he began to plant cacao in 9 hectares with mixed feelings of fear and uncertainty.
He says that in these years he has learned new things, he has fallen and he has risen. “At first the only thing we knew was to put a seed in the ground and wait for the harvest,” says Jumbo, adding that crops have been recently modernized. The Association is made up of 42 families that total about 410 hectares dedicated to fine aroma cocoa. All the production is gathered in a collection center to process it and sell it to allied chocolatiers. (I)
