Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia are some of the countries that regularly demand the transfer of technology used to improve guinea pigs in Peru deriving from work conducted by a research team at the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA).
Africa has expressed interest in producing these animals, too. That is why in July Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will host meetings on food security to which Peru has been invited.
According to Lilia Chauca, lead researcher at INIA’s National Program for Small Animals, training and technology transfer requests are usually sent from government bodies, as is the case of Colombia’s National Service of Learning (Sena).
She stressed the three pure bred, highly productive types of guinea pigs in Peru: the Peru, Andina, and Inti lines. There is another promising line called “interracial or synthetic”, which results from crossing the aforementioned ones.
These lines have particular features, among which the following stand out: precociousness, high meat yield, high reproductive capacity, and ability to reach a given initial weight in a shorter time.
For instance, an improved guinea pig is able to weight 1 kilogram at 46 days, compared to creole ones, that reach this weight at 160 days.
Africa is interested in exploiting the Peruvian experience in raising guinea pigs, which is why that continent asked for Peru’s support, and not for commercial purposes, but for food security issues and the betterment of family life.
(END)MVM/JJN/RMB
Published: 4/23/2016