Productive improvements in the treatment of Toquilla Straw at the Toquilla Straw Treatment Center of the Barcelona commune, Manglaralto parish, Santa Elena province, Ecuador

Abstract

The community of Barcelona, parish ManglaraltoCantón Santa Elena, is known for its treatment of the straw shawl floor (Carludovicapalmata). In its acres of land in the mountains adjacent to the Chongón-Colonche range, this plant grows wild it is harvested in about three years of cultivation. In the village, families headed by women workers, performing the treatment plant for cleaning, cooking, drying and packaging processes, which will be directed to areas in the country where they make the famous Panama hats. In order to improve the process of this treatment, the NOBS group, The Provincial Council of Santa Elena and PORAMÉRICA,   have signed a cooperation agreement that has managed to achieve the objectives. The drying process, which was a problem in times of lack of sun, has been solved with installation of industrial dryers and simultaneously marginalized cooking process and do it with wood stove, achieving efficiency in this process with the use of burners with industrial gas, lowering environmental impact. The administrative process improved with the implementation of documents and control of the production process and costs.