Grower Story
Dely Neyra
For more than a decade, 50-year-old Dely Neyra has dedicated herself to producing organic cocoa on her farm in Peru’s San José de Sisa province, about 58 kilometers from the city of Tarapoto. Neyra and her husband, Mr. Ildeman, purchased the large, five-hectare farm in 2006. Since then, the mother of three has drawn on her technical studies in agriculture to grow fruits and other crops. However, her main crop is cacao, which grows well in the region’s temperate climate.
Neyra’s day begins at 4 a.m., when she prepares breakfast for her husband and daughters, before heading to work at the cocoa plantation, about 20 minutes away. She returns home for lunch with her husband at 1 p.m., after he finishes teaching morning classes, and then the two of them return to the farm together to supervise and work with their crops. In late afternoon, they return home to see their daughters. Neyra noted that, over the past several years, climate change has affected the areas’s growing season. While harvesting used to begin in February, high season for cocoa harvesting is now considered to be June through October.
Harvesting cocoa is a labor-intensive process, done by hand when days are clear and dry, since rain can damage the harvested crop. Neyra and her workers use scissors to remove low-lying cobs from the trees, and sickles to remove cobs in the trees’ higher reaches. Once cobs are removed, workers use machetes to open the cobs and remove the seeds/beans. The cacoa seeds/beans are then packed in jute bags and transported by mototaxi to the warehouse, then sent to the cocoa facility in Pisco for processing. The harvested leaves and cocoa shells are left on the ground to enrich the soil.
Also, honey obtained from the cocoa slime during the fermentation process is skimmed and used for beverages. Growth and improvement are always on Neyra’s mind. To that end, she and other cocoa producers in the Santa Cruz district work together as an association to sell and promote their product. Working with Machu Picchu Foods since 2017 has also helped her improve her farming methods. With company-provided tools, technical assistance, and training on cocoa cultivation, Neyra’s cocoa yield per hectare is 700 kilograms.
In addition to improving yields, selling cocoa with organic certification also allows Neyra to differentiate from other farmers and sell for a higher price, leading to better profits. Neyra and her husband return home in the evening to relax and have dinner with their daughters. While the family usually devotes free time to working on their land, they take time on Sundays to have lunch together, often enjoying their favorite ceviche and chicken soup. On some weekends, they go out for lunch together at local restaurants. Neyra has high hopes for her daughters’ future.Their eldest daughter has completed her studies at the university and works outside the farm. The second daughter is attending college, and the youngest is still in school. Neyra’s goal is to ensure that they each complete their higher education and avoid marrying and starting families too young, which is the norm in the region. But Neyra’s future is tied to organic cocoa. She plans to buy more land to cultivate, maintain necessary certifications, and produce a product of the highest quality.