Exports of agricultural products from Peru, including fresh fruits and vegetables, rose slightly to US$2.14bn during the first half of 2012, according to the Economic and Statistics Studies Office at the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture (Minag-OEEE).
The result marks a 0.2 per cent rise in value terms compared with the US$2.13bn recorded during the first seven months of 2011, the government agency said.
The sales gain was the result of increased exports of Valery Cavendish bananas (up by 24.1 per cent), fresh grapes (23.7 per cent), animal feed preparations (22.8 per cent), fresh avocados (21.5 per cent), evaporated milk (20.2 per cent), fresh tangerines (12.5 per cent) and paprika (14.2 per cent).
The exports were distributed among 139 countries worldwide, Minag-OEEE said, with the majority of products sold in the US, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain.
During the January to July period, there was an increase in export prices for asparagus (up 19.4 per cent), as well as mangoes (37.8 per cent), prepared artichokes (8.8 per cent), tangerines (12.5 per cent) and evaporated milk (8.5 per cent).
Minag-OEEE also reported a decline in export prices for coffee (down by 26 per cent), paprika (-17.1 per cent), cocoa beans (-25 per cent), cochineal dye (-65.5 per cent), olives (-18.6 per cent) and semi-milled rice (-46.8 per cent).
Traditional agricultural exports accounted for 18.7 per cent of total revenues, or US$400.6m, down 24.3 per cent against the first seven months of last year when US$529.2m was recorded, mainly due to the decline in coffee export volume and value.
Non-traditional agricultural exports, meanwhile, totalled US$1.74bn, representing 81.3 per cent of total exports in the sector, and marking an increase of 8.2 per cent compared with the same period of 2011.
The upturn is as a result of increased sales of asparagus, fresh grapes, fresh avocados, evaporated milk, animal feed preparations, fresh tangerines and paprika, according to Minag-OEEE.
