Farmer Day in Peru
In Peru, the 24th day of June is a very significant event. For those living in the Andes, it’s celebrated with a celebration of the harvest called Inti Raymi Day. This day is also the feast day of San Juan Bautista, otherwise known as St. John the Baptist. But those aren’t the holidays we’re going to talk about today.
Peru (Observance)Instead, we’re going to talk about Farmer’s Day. This holiday is known as DÃa del Campesino in Spanish, which literally translates to the Day of the Farmer. It’s a day to pay tribute to the farmers of Peru who not only feed the country but also contribute to Peru’s national economy.
The History of Farmer’s Day in Peru
Originally, this holiday was known as DÃa del Indio, or Day of the Indian in English. It was a holiday that was started by Peruvian President Augusto B. LeguÃa in 1930 and it was dedicated to the indigenous peoples of Peru.
Dictator Juan Velasco Alvarado would end up changing the name of this holiday to Day of the Farmer or DÃa del Campesino to honor the country’s farmers. He did this while he established the Agrarian Reform Law, a law that appropriated thousands of farmlands to diversify land ownership in Peru. This law also ended the exploitation of indigenous people for labor.
Nowadays, there are over 2.2 million small and medium-sized farms in Peru. Although agriculture only makes up about 13% of Peru’s Gross Domestic Product, almost a third of the country is employed in it. Peru is currently one of the largest producers of artichoke, asparagus, avocado, and blueberries. It also is a large producer of potatoes, pineapples, coffee, and cocoa. Other crops produced by Peru include rice, bananas, grapes, sugarcane, maize, and cassava.
Observing Farmer’s Day in Peru
This holiday is observed with agricultural fairs and other events across Peru. There’s food, dance, cultural events, and of course, plenty of fruits and vegetables. To spread the word about this holiday, people can use the hashtags #DiaDelCampesino or #FarmersDayPeru on their social media posts for the day.
Peru (Observance)
