Peru has carved out a key supply role with grapes into China and other Asian markets over recent years, thanks largely to its ability to ship the sought-after Red Globe variety in time for Chinese New Year. The Andean nation faces very little competition between January and March in most Asian grape markets.
This season, the market opportunity is particularly strong on account of the later date of Chinese New Year, which falls on 10 February, thereby giving suppliers more time to land product in time for the festivities. Lower stocks of late California grapes have also primed the early demand for Peruvian grapes.
“The market is very hungry for new-season fruit,” said José Antonio Gómez, chief commercial officer of major Peruvian agribusiness Camposol, which is expanding its grape business. “Last year we had to wait until December/January to sell fruit into China but since October we’ve had a lot of Chinese buyers flying into Piura and wanting early fruit. California had a smaller and weaker crop, so they’ve finished early.”
Strong demand for Peruvian grapes from China in particular has been fuelling increased plantings of Red Globe, especially in the northern grape growing regions such as Piura, which are in production between early October and December/January.
While importers also see good opportunities for Peruvian grapes to prosper for Chinese New Year, they have warned against over-optimism.
“China has a great demand for Peruvian Red Globe, but this demand is for light red coloured Red Globe in size XL and larger,” says Jason Bosch of Origin Direct Asia. “I would guess that less than half of their crop matches this criteria so the challenge is going to be placing the fruit that doesn’t make the grade for China.”
Rod Hill, import manager of Golden Wing Mau, also warns that Peru must deliver the quality to match its high price expectations. “I’m a bit nervous about grapes from Peru this year. The first arrivals didn’t get good prices and plantings and availability aren’t short. The grapes we saw in northern Peru were darker than we’d want for China and it’s vital they get the colour and sugars right.”
Peru could even end up being one of the losers this year, according to Rutger van Wulfen of Prestige China Development, if it does not select the colour correctly. “Peruvian Red Globes are far too often too dark for China and this might result in a disappointing return,” he cautions. “It’s better if they market the darker fruit to other Asian countries where there are opportunities for Red Globes that do not have the so-called ‘monkey-ass’ red colour.”
