The fifteenth edition of the Expoalimentaria fair generated business expectations of US$ 540 million, and if only food is considered, the amount is US$ 305 million, equivalent to 3.4% of the total agro-exports projected for 2023, said the president. of the Association of Exporters (ADEX), Julio Pérez Alván.

During the closing ceremony of the event, he detailed that 2 business meetings were held, 600 more than in the 1,600 edition (2022) and 1,000 exhibitors, both national and foreign, were present. Likewise, more than 580 thousand visitors were received, of which 20 were from abroad.

“The study carried out by the company Perfiles y Consumidores indicated that 97% of the exhibitors confirmed their presence in the next edition. With these results it is evident that the fair is a determining event in the growth of the food sector,” he pointed out.

After announcing that Expoalimentaria 2024 will be held from September 25 to 27 at the Jockey Exhibition Center, Pérez Alván said that they must work together to achieve the recovery of agro-exports and the Peruvian economy.

Pending agenda

The union leader added that the public-private alliance becomes more relevant because the sector faces a series of contingencies: falling international prices, rising logistics, labor, tax and input costs, greater international competition and few facilities to increase the agro-export basket. with new growing areas and commercial windows.

“It is clear that there is a pending agenda. A legal framework is needed that encourages investments, a long-term plan must be worked on that includes aspects such as product development,” he said.

The agro-export basket is made up of grapes, blueberries, mangoes, asparagus, avocados and others - he continued - but facilities must be established that boost competitiveness, access to inputs at affordable prices, have health procedures that expedite exports, among others.

"The world consumes pitahaya, cherry, royal lemon, persimmon, other varieties of avocado and nuts, so it is time to investigate, innovate and project what will be the new agro-export offer in the following years," he stated.

The land is fertile – he continued –, let us remember that the blueberry came from Europe, northern Africa and northern Asia, the asparagus from Asia and the Mediterranean and the grapes also from Asia, and now we are the main world exporter.

Pérez Alván suggested developing native products such as potatoes, maca, kiwicha, caigua, giant corn, achiote sacha inchi, camu camu, aguaymanto, cat's claw, sangria de grade, soursop, cherimoya, chancapiedra, molle, cocona, and tarwi, which benefit small producers in the mountains and jungle.

In the same way, he recommended having germplasm banks, researching the improvement of agronomic management, nutritional properties and carrying out promotional campaigns in international markets. Likewise, promote the export of the regions (squash, melon, tomato, vanilla bean), that is, lay the foundations for the new agro-export offer.

"Peruvian gastronomy helps position our food supply, so the various production chains must also be strengthened, associativity and cooperativism must be promoted, small producers must reduce their logistical costs and achieve reasonable prices," he said.

Equally important is research and innovation in organic production, family farming, post-harvest handling and packaging – he noted – there are varieties adapted to the new climate conditions such as lemon, coffee, mango, which is why it is crucial to carry out mapping national level of crops, pests and improve the phytosanitary and safety system.

“That is the pending agenda in which progress must be made to strengthen agro-exports that in 2022 helped generate more than 2 million 215 thousand direct, indirect and induced jobs,” he concluded.

The data

Expoalimentaria 2023 had 410 stands, the pymexporta pavilion, regional pavilions of Huánuco, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Ucayali, Cusco, Piura, Huancavelica, Loreto and Áncash; pavilions of Brazil, Indonesia, Hungary, China and Ecuador, in addition to the Cocoa Hall.