ECHOcommunity Conversations

Sacha Inchi Nut Product

#1

Is anyone growing Sacha Inchi?

Apparently this is a growing product in US for people who need help with increased Omega 3 oils in their diet. I met a group from Laos who has started a company which provides this product in several forms. Theirs will soon be available in the United States after FDA approval.

After reading about the benefits, it is an amazing plant for sure.
High in omega-3 essential fatty acids, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E and can help to boost muscle growth, protect your brain, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Sacha Inchi is also better for the environment than many other sources of protein, and can help to encourage sustainable reforestation.

I’m curious about your experience growing and harvesting this plant in tropical climates?

https://www.echocommunity.org/en/resources/3c45f610-6a2d-4914-b54e-abc747fb93ba

1 Like
#2

I will be curious to hear responses to this. I visited a few years back with some people in Thailand and Laos that were attempting to grow Sacha Inchi but they were having considerable trouble with the crop getting moldy shortly after harvest.

#3

Hi, I’m growing Sacha Inchi in Kalaymyo - Myanmar. It’s only 2 years old and we haven’t really sold a lot of the nuts yet. We were going to supply a local merchant who has a contract with Thailand, but the price he’s offered is not what I would like to see, so will try and sell as a niche market crop on the local market. I’d also be interested in hearing about this group in Laos.
When growing them, be aware that they do not like wet feet, but still need plenty of water. We lost about half of what we planted because we planted in waterlogged clay soils and they didn’t get sufficient aeration around their roots. I had hoped that the soils would drain quicker than they did. Given time, we will get the soils right. Harvesting is easy, but it would be useful to have a machine to help crack the kernels to get the nuts out. We are currently doing it by hand, but the labour costs are eating into the profits.
cheers
Wayne

#4

How i wish to to plant this plant in the Philippines. May I request some seeds? Thank you.

#5

They grow a lot of sacha inchi here in Peru (isn’t it FROM Peru?) but not in our area…

#6

here’s a manual on sacha inchi production from Peru by a German non-profit
https://cooperacionalemana.pe/GD/280/manualproducciondesachainchi.pdf

#7

I have been trying to grow in central Florida with some doing well until a hard freeze lost a third of plants and fair crop of immature nuts I have a dozen young plants ready to plant in spring in a more protected area grown from my own seed crop. I like the looks of it and the health benefits. We will try again. Dan

#8

I finally figured out the website of my ECHO tour visitors here in Ft Myers, who were from Laos and told me about the company they were associated with there!

They’re a non-profit and trying to get the product into other consumer markets.
For every $1US they make profit, they take a protein bar, made from the same healthy product, to an undernourished child there. A win-win for sure.

What little I know I’ll be glad to share. Our Inca Peanut vine apparently grows well on a hill under a canopy of trees. It is growing in well drained soil, in shade and propagates itself easily if you let it. Several small plants pop up around its base over time and have to be cleaned out. God is truly great!
Seems like a terrible waste but we have many plants to care for and obviously cannot let one overtake any part of the farm.