Guinea pig breeding in Sapallanga is experiencing one of its best moments. The Wanka South Forestry and Ecological Producers Association, one of the most established organizations in the district, has experienced exponential growth in recent years.
“Today we have grown in the production of guinea pig meat, we have also improved genetically, we not only sell meat, we also sell breeding mothers, males and females”explains Olimpia Arias, legal representative of the association made up mostly of women producers.
The productive increase is overwhelming. “Every fortnight we deliver more than 1,500 guinea pigs”details Arias, specifying that this volume allows them to supply local and national markets. They currently send guinea pigs to Orcotuna, Lima and Ayacucho, and work with two commercial lines of weight: animals of 700 to 800 grams and another group of 900 grams or more. To do this, each producer has gone from managing 40 or 50 mothers to now having 400 to 500 reproducers.
Arias details that parenting continues to be accessible and profitable for families and associations. “The cost per guinea pig is an average of 8 to 9 soles. After two months, the animals reach between 800 and 850 grams, optimal weight for consumption, and are sold for 25 soles per kilo live”he refers. The Perú, Inti lines and especially the Wanka line are preferred by the producers due to their rapid growth, although the leader emphasizes that “The main thing for them to gain weight and size is food”. Arias also announced that his most ambitious goal is export.
