Hong Kong has replaced the US as the leading destination for Peruvian table grape exports in 2014.
The value of Peruvian table grape exports to Hong Kong reached US$67.8m between January and November, with China the second largest destination at US$64.8m. The Netherlands received US$45.3m worth of Perivan table grapes, while the US took in US$34.1m, according to ProExpansion.
“Table grapes exports to China keep growing, with last year seeing about a 84-86 per cent growth in volume compared to the previous year,” Juan Carlos Rios, director of Shanghai-based Intercorp Peru told Fruitnet. “In the 2014/15 season, we expect a 20 per cent growth on last year, with Red Globes still making up about 98 per cent of the business.”
The increase in exports to Hong Kong and China has been driven by a growing demand for Red Globes, particularly in the lead up Chinese New Year when the larger sized, red grapes are used for gifting.
Peruvian agro-exports from January to October increased 23 per cent compared to the same period last year, boosted largely by an increase in coffee exports, according to Peru’s export association Adex.
In terms of fresh produce, exports of avocados, table grapes and mangoes all increased, while exports of fresh asparagus decreased 7.6 per cent.
