Peru has continued to grow its position as a key exporter of fresh produce, with statistics released by the country’s promotional agency, PromPeru, revealing exports grew 5 per cent year on year.
According to PromPeru, food exports provide the second biggest source of foreign currency for the country, with North America and Europe its key export markets.
However, over the last few years, Peru’s trade with Asia in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector has grown considerably. Erick Aponte, trade commissioner at PromPeru for Hong Kong and South-East Asia, said Asia has become a very big priority for Peru.
“Since 2005, our exports to Asia have grown exponentially, and this trend is forecast to continue in 2020,” explained Aponte. “For this reason, we have been negotiating access to these markets for the 2020-2021 season.”
Peru is hoping it will gain market access to export its cranberries to India and Malaysia, citrus into India and Vietnam, pomegranates to China, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan, Hass avocados to the Philippines and Malaysia, and table grapes to Japan.
Asia currently accounts for 9 per cent of Peruvian food exports globally, with China the biggest Asian market for Peruvian foods, accounting for 30 per cent of all exports to the region.
Hong Kong (20 per cent), South Korea (14 per cent), Japan (12 per cent) and Indonesia (8 per cent) make up the remaining key markets, while Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Vietnam are all markets showing promise.
The ‘Superfoods from Peru’ campaign, launched in 2017, has been a big factor in the country’s export growth, with promotions highlighting the high nutrient content of the produce.
The main produce Peru exported to Asia in 2019 was table grapes (20 per cent), cranberries (11 per cent), mangoes (8 per cent), mandarins (8 per cent) and avocados (5 per cent).
