Over the past twenty years or so, PACOMARCA has been conducting Peru's most sophisticated and comprehensive program on the genetic improvement of alpacas.  The PACOMARCA ranch maintains approximately two thousand selected alpacas of different types and colors. It holds the world's widest and most complete database on alpaca, which is managed through a specially designed program called PacoPro, whose current version is the 5.7.

The genetic improvement program is carried out with advisory services provided by the animal husbandry department of the Complutense University of Madrid, led by Dr Juan Pablo Gutiérrez García, an international expert on the topic.  As a result of this collaboration, more than a dozen scientific papers have been published in some of the world's most prestigious indexed scientific journals.

The PACOMARCA genetic program selects animals on the basis of quantitative genetics in which the BLUP (best linear unbiased predictions) methodology is applied.  At the present time, 81% of the animals at PACOMARCA have desirable genetic ratings.  Furthermore, PACOMARCA has become involved in genomics and selection assisted through the use of markers.

Additionally, PACOMARCA has signed a collaboration agreement with the agrarian University of la Molina, Peru's most prestigious university in the areas of veterinary and animal sciences.  A result of this collaboration is Pacomarca's participation in different research projects such as the following:

• Scientific research “Identification of Polymorphism of simple  nucleotides (PNSs) and development of a PNSs chip for the implementation of advanced technologies for genetic improvement in alpacas”. Also involved Minnesota University and Texas A&M University. With financing from INIA.

• Scientific research proyect “Plolimorphysm in the MC1R and ASIP genes associated to the phenotype variation of the huacaya alpaca fleece color” (PHD research thesis).

• Scientific research “Genetic parameters for the density of the pilous channels and fiber of skin area in huacaya alpacas” (PHD research thesis).

• Scientific research “Validation for the medullometer equipment for the measuring of medulation percentage in Alpacas” (Master research thesis).