According to Agricola Andrea, a Peruvian table grape exporter, the opportunities in the U.S. market will improve next season because the industry's performance is higher than that of Chile. However, they said, exports to the EU are uncertain due to Russia's ban on imports.
Jonathan Geller, director of Agricola Andrea, said he thought Peruvian grape exporters were able to send their fruit to the U.S. for a longer time because their fruit had a higher quality than that of the Chilean producers.
"American retailers are showing interest in working with us major marketing programs when the supply from California comes to an end," Geller said.
"Clearly, several Peruvian producers have done a better job in these past seasons than the Chilean producers, in terms of fruit quality and in compliance with the agreements, and this is allowing us to increase what used to be a small window," he added.
Despite what many people think, Geller said, Peru has competed more strongly with California producers, who store their grapes and sell the at the end of the year, than with Chile.
The situation across the Atlantic is not as positive as grape exporters in Europe are no longer allowed to send their fruit to Russia, following the ban on imports of European Union, the U.S., Australia, Canada and Norway.
"We're very worried about Europe because of this season's increase in production and the Russian ban. It's still uncertain where the nearly 45,000 metric tons that we normally ship there will end at," Geller said.
Agricola Andrea's production is located in the region of Ica, south of the country, and the first harvest should take place in week 44, near the end of October.
Finally, Geller said that this season's crop's colour, vigour and vegetative growth was excellent throughout the region of Ica and that it was probably caused by the high temperatures in the area throughout May, June and part of July.
Source: Fresh Fruit Portal