Peru: Agro-exports will be consolidated with six products
In silence and with low profile, as they have done so far, Peruvian agro-exports will continue to consolidate in the next five years. And they will do it with the hand of a sextet of fresh products - most fruits - already established in the business: asparagus, avocado, mango, cranberry, table grapes and tangerines. The Association of Agricultural Producers' Guilds of Peru (Agap) announced it last Tuesday, in a forum held within the APEC 2016 meetings.
Asparagus, a vegetable in which Peru is a leader in production in the world, despite the fall in its yield due to aging in traditional production areas such as Ica, will continue to expand. Carlos Zamorano, manager of the Peruvian Institute of Asparagus and Vegetables, projects that, if water availability increases in that region, they could be planted between 30.000 and 50.000 more hectares.
In addition to the current good prices, another factor that would encourage planting is the elimination of fumigation treatment to which asparagus are subjected upon entering the United States, its main market.
Regarding the avocado, it is expected that some more 10.000 hectares will enter production in the Olmos irrigation project in Lambayeque. According to Víctor Escobedo, technical manager of ProHass, both the growth of demand in Europe and the opening of the Chinese and Japanese markets encourage investment in this product.
As for the mango, the planted area would double if the transit time is reduced (it takes 30 days by ship) to Asia, explains Juan Rivera, of the Association of Exporters of Mango (Apem). It indicates that the start of operations in the country of China Eastern cargo would facilitate growth, since they foresee that air freights will decrease compared to those of regular flights.
The production of table grapes will turn to seedless varieties, since until now it has been focused on the Red Globe variety, considered an agricultural commodity. In the Association of Producers of Table Grapes of Peru (Provid) they predict that the varietal change will push the appearance of projects with more extensive areas, since the "seedless" are less yielding.
Meanwhile, the production of mandarins, which represents the 90% of citrus exports, would increase thanks to the authorization of irrigation on the coast. For Procitrus, the new citrus frontier will be in Chavimochic (where the viability of the fruit was already proven) as well as in Majes Siguas.
More fruits
The blueberries, today the "vedette" of the Peruvian agro-export, would reach the 10.000 hectares in five years, says Federico Beltrán, manager of Terra Business SAC. It predicts that prices will moderate and producers will opt for varietal differentiation.
Carlos Gereda, manager of the Inka's Berries nursery, argues that there is also potential for cherry in 7.000 hectares. Defendant by China, it could be planted on the coast and harvested in a counter-season, if a suitable variety is found.
The pomegranate, with the United States open this year for fresh exports, is emerging as a promise. Progranada projects that the markets of Korea and China will open in the next two years.
Source: Elcomercio.pe
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