Citrus production in Peru is estimated to increase by 3.6 per cent this year as yield, planted area and demand on Northern Hemisphere markets continue to expand.
Export opportunities are particularly strong in the UK, the US, Canada and the Netherlands, according to a study released by consultant Maximixe and reported by Peruvian news agency Andina.
Peruvian citrus will also as of this year enter China and Mexico duty free under recently agreed protocols.
According to Maximixe, this year the production of oranges, tangerines, lemons and limes will rise by 3.8 per cent, 7.3 per cent, 1.5 per cent and 5.4 per cent respectively.
Separately, the Peruvian citrus industry is gearing up for the Seventh International Seminar on Citrus, which will be held in the capital Lima at the Hotel Los Delfines on 27-28 April.
Organised by the Citrus Growers Association of Peru (ProCitrus), the conference will focus on market, commercial, technical and regulatory issues, according to a report by Andina.
The objective is to make available to delegates information on the citrus trade in Europe, the US and Asia, in terms of market trends, new varieties, health threats to the industry and issues related to crop management.
Speakers include Mayda Sotomayor (CEO of US citrus giant Seald Sweet), Marcelo Pedreira (Fundecitrus in Brazil), Isabel Quiroz (iQonsulting, Chile), Tim Williams (UC Riverside, the US), Guy Dixon (Martinavarro, Spain), Angelo Lazo (GlobalGAP, Germany), among others.
