Peru’s biggest citrus and avocado supplier is now making its mark in the table grape sector. Consorcio de Productores de Fruta (CPF) has developed 400ha of production in Chepén, northern Peru as part of its strategy to widen its offer and extend its season.
This season the company added Sweet Jubilee to its rapidly growing grape line-up, and further varieties will follow thanks to its licensing agreement with California’s International Fruit Genetics.
The development of its seedless grape programme is helping to fuel CPF’s expansion into Asia, its newest export market.
“Europe and the US are our biggest export markets but the fastest growth is coming from Asia,” said commercial manager Marianela Rodriguez, adding that shipments to the Middle East and Latin America are also on the rise.
The growth in these new regions will go some way in offsetting the impact of the UK’s Brexit vote on the company’s bottom line. “A large part of our citrus production is destined for British supermarket programmes and there’s no doubt that sterling’s fall has dented our profit projections for this market,” Rodriguez says. “Nevertheless, the UK is an important market and one that we remain committed to.”
In avocados, meanwhile, the company reported its best ever export season in 2016 with strong demand in Europe and the US resulting in record returns for growers.
“The opening of the Chinese and Japanese markets for Peruvian avocados provided another profitable alternative for exporters this year,” Rodriguez said.
