AMARANTH,United States price supplier

 KIWICHA: RAW (H.S. 1008.90.90.00)

The Kiwicha (Amaranthus caudatus) is also called "amaranto", "coyo", "achis", "achita", "qamaya", "sangoracha", "coimi", "millmi", and "jataco". This crop presents evidence of being originary from the Andes. It is cultivated from southern Ecuador, going through Peru and Bolivia, to northern Argentina. In Peru it's cultivated in the ecological agricultural area of Cajamarca, Ancash, Ayacucho, and Huancavelica, but with a higher intensity in Urubamba valley (in Cuzco) and Majes valley (in Arequipa), between 1500 and 3500 meters over the sea level.

 It's an annual crop, 1 to 2 ¹ / ₂ meters high, with big unflourishings and generally coloured ones, leaf stalks, oval leafs, opposed or alternate, green or purple colour.

 It adapts to different agricultural zones, which allows its growth from the sea level to 3400 meters high, in warm climates and valleys.

 Its use in human nutrition is preferably in the whacked-grain from or by milling whacked grains, which permit to obtain very pleasant flour, whole grain leaves and tender unflourishings are also used.

 The nutritive value, uses, and consumption ways are not well known in the Andes region countries yet. The advantages of the kiwicha are the low cost of the raw grain, the no need of special treatments and its good market acceptance.

 The nutritive value of the grain is high and it reaches 12-16% of protein, the amino acids balance is optimum, with a good proportion of sulphured ones (lysine, methyonine and cystine).