There is a need in the community to eradicate the plague and prevent it from affecting plants in the future. There is also a need to train the farmers in how to create derivative products from the aguaymanto so they can possibly sell the fruit in other ways when the product is not selling due to its damaged appearance, so the farmers can reduce waste and avoid having to throw away their unsold harvest when it goes bad. For example, they could turn the fruit into jams, liquors, popsicles and other products.
The need for training in the production of aguaymanto product derivatives and the eradication of the plague or fungus affecting the growth of the plant exists because this fruit is a primary income source for the farmers. When they are forced to sell the aguaymanto for less than it is worth, they lose profits and their quality of life is subsequently affected by their reduced level of income. Without the income that they are counting on, farmers are unable to provide for their families or pay their bills.
In my position as a Peace Corps volunteer, I am collaborating with a conservation worker and the aguaymanto farmers' association to bring in an agriculture specialist from a university to diagnonse the specific type of plague infecting the plants and teach the farmers how to eradicate and prevent it in the future. Additionally, we are working to teach and enable farmers to make product derivatives, specifically aguaymanto popsicles, that they can sell in the community with the surplus fruit that they are unable to sell.
