The manager of Agricultural exports from Adex, Paula Carrion, stated that the months of September and October are key for agriculture exporters of blueberries, as this was a period where they could take advantage of the window of opportunity offered by the international market.
"The United States stops producing in this period and it has become the largest buyer, along with the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, and Germany," she said.
As shown in the enclosed graph, blueberries led non-traditional exports in September and, according to Adex, they might also lead them in October.
"It is an atypical period, we are amidst the highest blueberry campaign and it will last until October, then it could decrease, but right now there is an upward trend," she said.
There already are 27 companies involved in the production and export of blueberries, which is headed by Camposol (41 million dollars), Talsa (26 million dollars), and Hortifrut (18 million dollars), which together account for 90% of shipments.
Paula Carrion said Peru had a window of opportunity that benefited the agricultural export sector, as the production in the northern hemisphere stops during these months and the production from Chile and Argentina entered the markets after the Peruvian production. "We have two months in which we can clearly occupy these markets," she said.
She also said that next week, at the APEC, the country would sign an agreement with China to export blueberries to that country, so export volumes are expected to continue increasing. The current FOB export price for blueberries is $9.2 dollars per kilo.
11/11/2016
Fresh Plaza/Gestion.pe