Peruvian citrus has enjoyed a successful season on the UK marketplace this summer through both supermarket retailers and the wholesale markets which have achieved very strong prices, according to importer Greencell.
The company has an established relationship with exporter La Calera that stretches back four years and Greencell attributes the source's success to its excellent quality product.
"Fruit is grown in the Chincha Valley south of Lima where the conditions are dry and sandy," explained Greencell's Ken Smith. "This produces very good internal quality and flavours." Greencell brings in satsumas and Minneola for a niche window in the season once Uruguayan and South African supplies have finished in July and August and before Spain comes on stream. "We are also looking at the possibility of bringing in oranges in the future," said Smith.
The sector in Peru is in development as the grower base has been traditionally extremely fragmented. It has only been in the last five years that growers have begun to pull together and form larger organisations investing in packhouse infrastructure suitable to supply export markets.
