The name is a historical reference to the past agricultural practice of growing cotton in the Utcubamba Valley.

The semitropical valley of the river is the former site of the pre-Columbian Chachapoyas culture and a popular tourist destination.

Numerous hydroelectric dams have been built on the Utcubamba River from which a large portion of the Amazon Region derives its electricity.

The tropical climate of the valley combined with the availability of water for the farms has helped to make this area one of the biggest producers of crops like maize, rice and banana.

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