Huanuco, Peru – On March 12, the Regional Government of Huanuco announced the official launch of the Procompite 2024 Competitive Fund, which aims to boost the competitiveness of producer organizations and entrepreneurs, improve the conditions of their production chains and strengthen activities that promote sustainable production in response to the challenges of climate change.
For the first time in Huanuco, this program will have an investment of 30 million soles, the highest amount in recent years in this region, since this priority strategy of the State was implemented for the execution of Initiatives to Support Productive Competitiveness.
The program will benefit 250 organized business units located in 11 provinces of the region, in 10 important production chains: coffee, cacao, banana and livestock in the Amazonian part of Huanuco; while in the high Andean part, financing will be provided to fruit, aquaculture, dairy, Andean grains, potato and native potato businesses; and also to tourism linked to ecotourism.
To launch and support the program, GORE Huanuco works with the Ministry of Production and receives technical support from the Amazon Business Alliance, led by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Canada and Conservation International Peru.
Unlike previous years, Procompite Huánuco 2024 will have a triple impact approach that considers the economic, social and environmental aspects of the businesses. This is reflected in the new bases and evaluation sheets that producers and entrepreneurs must present in their business plans to access the Competitive Fund.
Two new disaggregated indicators were incorporated into these sheets: the environmental indicator and the participation of women and indigenous populations, which will measure the impact of the plan on the environment and how it promotes gender equality and interculturality.
Engineer Ronald Acuña, Economic Development Manager of the Regional Government of Huanuco, said that the implementation of the fund with an environmental sustainability approach is crucial to mitigate the effects of climate change on the various economic activities in the region and ensure the continuity and growth of production chains.
“In 2023, Huanuco suffered a water deficit and excessive rainfall, which led to the declaration of emergency in 53 districts due to natural disasters. We are feeling the effects of climate change. For us it is no longer just a story, but we are living it. That is why this fund considers environmental issues, to prepare us, strengthen us and reverse these effects”.
He explained that it is not only about the product and its quality, but also about environmental and social factors. “The production chains that we are going to develop have to do with agro-exports. With a view to this, we must have a business strategy that will enable us to use the funds effectively. So we will be at the forefront and in line with the demands of the international market,” he remarked.
He stated that the current challenges are opportunities to develop specialized products in each valley of the region, with a view to export and innovation.
In this regard, he informed that in order to support from the smallest to the largest producers, Procompite Huánuco 2024 will be structured in three financing categories.
The objective is to project the products of the fund winners into national and international markets. To this end, Procompite Huánuco 2024 aims to develop production chains related to agroexports and implement business strategies that enable the effective use of the funds. Technology transfer and genetic improvements will be financed to increase productivity and improve the income of participating producers.
Mr. Acuña clarified that this is a non-reimbursable fund and Procompite makes the purchases of goods and services established in the business plans. This guarantees that the funds are well used.
