Grower Story
Jesus Guevara
Jesus Guevara farms 4 hectares of level farmland, about 20 kilometers from the city of Tarapoto in northern Peru’s Lamas province. Now aged 45, he cultivated his first crops 23 years ago, after purchasing the farm from his mother. Over the years, he has cultivated oranges, bananas, and cassava, but today, Jesus’ main crop is cocoa.
Jesus leaves home at 8 a.m. and heads to the cocoa fields for the day, often with his wife, Korina Aspajo. During the growing season, they protect the delicate cocoa trees from pests and disease, and guard them from the damaging wind and sun that typify the region’s tropical environment. While it is possible to plant and harvest cocoa at any time of the year in Peru’s temporate climate, the prime harvest season is June through October. Harvesting cocoa is labor intensive and physically demanding. Jesus uses scissors to remove cobs from the trees’ lower levels, then switches to sickles to remove cobs on the trees’ upper branches. Once cobs are removed, they are split open with machetes and the cocoa beans are scooped out, packed into jute bags, and transported by mototaxi to the processor. Cocoa leaves and cob husks are left on the fields to enrich the soil for future crops.
Partnering with the region’s largest organic distributor has helped Jesus improve his farming operation significantly. Thanks to the company’s training and technical assistance, Jesus has increased production levels to about 700 kilograms of organic cocoa per hectare. His organic cocoa sells at a higher price than conventional cocoa. On a typical day, Jesus heads home to his wife and two daughters at about 4 p.m. to rest and enjoy the evening. One daughter, a recent high school graduate, is hoping to continue her studies once she secures the money, and the youngest daughter is still in school. His eldest son, married with a family of his own, lives nearby.
Family favorites of rice with chicken, and juane, a traditional Peruvian dish, are often prepared for dinner at home during the week. On the weekends, the family takes walks together and shops for what they need for the week. Sometimes they dine together at local restaurants. They look forward to the village festivities of Fiesta de San Juan each June, an annual celebration in the district of Tabalosos.
Although he worries about security due to juvenile delinquency in the area, life in Jesus’ agricultural community is generally good. While nearby farmers grow coffee, fruits, and livestock, Jesus hopes to expand his farm to produce more cocoa to achieve better economic sustenance for his family.