High technology for an ancestral crop: sagú producers in Pasca receive machinery for starch extraction

• The innovation, developed by AGROSAVIA with support from Universidad de La Salle and the Ministry of Science, strengthens ASOBOSQUE in the production of this input to manufacture traditional foods, such as achiras, improving processing times, quality, and starch safety, thereby contributing to the sustainability of this rural community of Cundinamarca.

 

Mosquera, Cundinamarca. October 3, 2025. Representatives of the producers' organization ASOBOSQUE, faculty members from Universidad de La Salle, a delegate from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, professionals from the Municipality of Pasca, a research team from AGROSAVIA's Tibaitatá Research Center, and residents of Pasca gathered in the village of El Retiro for the delivery of specialized sago starch extraction machinery, designed to enhance local productivity.

The technology was developed by AGROSAVIA, at the invitation of Universidad de La Salle, as part of a project funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation through the program "A Ciencia Cierta." Its design meets the requirements proposed by ASOBOSQUE's sago producers in terms of productivity, quality, and food safety.

During the event, the machinery was tested under real conditions for washing and grating rhizomes, and sifting the starch. This demonstration allowed attendees to observe the advantages of the innovation in terms of processing time, product quality, and reduced physical effort required at each stage.

The day also served as a space for exchanging lessons learned from the project's development. Professors from Universidad de La Salle, the leading entity in the initiative, highlighted their role in academic coordination, institutional management, and the identification of technological and productive capacities. "This alliance between community, academia, and government is an example of entrepreneurship, productivity, and research," said Professor Elsa Fonseca.

However, participants agreed that the delivery of the machinery must be accompanied by commitments to ensure its sustainability. In this regard, representatives of the Municipality of Pasca, the entity that owns the facility where the technology is housed, pledged to manage the continuity of the agreement with future local governments.

For their part, ASOBOSQUE's members, as direct users of the innovation, emphasized the need to implement immediate actions to maximize its benefits. "It is important to put the machinery at the service of the community and give it a business-oriented approach to ensurs its self-sustainability through income generation and profitability," said John Edwar Ruiz, President of the organization.