Peruvian agro-exports would have closed in 2021 with sales that would exceed 9,000 million dollars, a figure that means a growth of 15.8% compared to the value registered in 2020, indicated the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri).

"The stars of the sector are fruits, such as blueberries, fresh grapes and avocados, whose shipments would have exceeded 1,000 million dollars each during 2021", highlighted the director of Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation of Policies of Midagri, Christian Garay.

He explained that only fruit exports would have exceeded 4,500 million dollars in 2021, a figure 15% above what was registered in 2020. "But the sector in general has had a remarkable performance, despite the situation of covid-19 and the health emergency ”.

Garay stressed that the agricultural sector more than fulfilled its role of supplying food during the past year, not only for the domestic market, but also for the world.

“Agro-export was one of the key engines of the Peruvian economy in 2021, as certain products that began to gain markets were consolidated, which allows continuing with the regional diversification of exports, and not only of the large companies of Ica , La Libertad or Lambayeque. What's more, producers from other regions joined the agro-export boom, ”he said.

Estrella

Our main agro-export product is blueberries, considering the growth it has had in recent years.

"It is estimated that in 2021 blueberries exceeded 1,000 million dollars in exports, something that already happened in 2020. It could have ended last year with shipments for 1,403 million dollars, which is a record figure," he said. Garay.

He said that in 2014 we were considered the tenth largest supplier of blueberries in the world, and that now we are in the number one position, displacing Chile, Spain and the United States.

The Midagri specialist stressed that the blueberry has a huge reception abroad, not only because it is a Peruvian product, but because the country has a favorable seasonal window compared to competitors; that is, it produces in the months that other countries cannot.

“We have opened new markets, which allowed the possibility of expanding customers for blueberries and for it to be the main product of the agro-export basket. Furthermore, the quality of the Peruvian blueberry has to do with the ownership of our land ”, he said.

Consolidation

Garay said that another product that would have exceeded 1,000 million dollars in exports during 2021 was grapes, repeating the achievement of 2020.

"It is a source of pride for Peru, because in 2021 grape exports would be for 1,269 million dollars, considering that it has had a good growth rate between January and October," he said.

He explained that normally the placement of this fruit during the year is concentrated in the last quarter, that is, more than 60% of shipments are made between October and December.

Avocado

The Midagri official said that the third product that exceeded $ 1,000 billion in exports in 2021 was avocado.

"I would like to highlight the avocado boom, especially the Hass variety, which is one of the main products in the agro-export basket, and which would have closed 2021 with $ 1,122 million," he said.

He argued that it is not only being produced on the coast, but also in the mountains, which has begun to supply the world with Hass avocado.

“This can be seen with the expansion of the agricultural frontier, since five years ago we had installed approximately 56,000 hectares of avocado on a national scale, but now it has increased to about 73,000 hectares, that is, around 30% growth in the avocado agricultural area ”, Garay pointed out.

Greater demand

The Midagri specialist emphasized that there are other agricultural products from Peru that continue to be in demand in the international market, such as asparagus, coffee and mangoes, as well as others that are arousing greater interest such as strawberry and kion.

“Asparagus is one of the flagship products of Peruvian agro-exports, although it has been displaced by blueberries. There are many hectares of asparagus in the north of the country that have been replaced by blueberries due to their higher profitability ”, he explained.

He commented that coffee is recovering due to the higher price of the bean in the international market, since there is an increase in demand, with which exports in 2021 would have closed at 623 million dollars.

Garay said that there are other products that have been strongly adding to the agro-export basket, such as kion and strawberry, which were very well received in 2021.

Figure

9% exports of asparagus would have increased last year, totaling 560 million dollars.