Peru, a country with thousands of varieties of potatoes, imported 24,000 tons of precooked potatoes worth US $ 23 million during 2014.
This is 9% higher than in 2013, according to the Center for Foreign Trade (CCEX) of the Chamber of Commerce of Lima (CCL).
"This increase is highly significant due to the increased demand of foreign fast food chains present in our country, which has led to an increase of more inputs like precooked potatoes, which are the basis of French fires, "said Carlos Garcia, manager of CCEX.
In the first quarter of 2015, the demanded quantity of potatoes continues to be strong as with imports that amount to 8,000 tons, 3% more than in the same period last year. However, there was a 19% decrease in the amount of purchases appreciated because they only amounted to $6 million dollars.
This result is attributed to the decrease in the price per kilogram, which went from US $1 per kilo in 2014 to $0.8 per kilo in 2015.
"Our country has been a producer of potatoes since ancient times. The increase in imports of precooked potato is also an opportunity for us to start generating an offer of industrialized potato that meets the conditions of the international chains," stated Garcia.
With purchases of over 3.8 million, the Netherlands became the leading seller of precooked potatoes for Peru putting Belgium into second place, as they shipped $1.4 million in the first quarter of the year.
17 Peruvian companies imported the product, three of which imported 70% of the total volume. These companies supply these inputs to fast foods chains, restaurants, casinos and poultry markets.
Globally, the import of chips totalled 6 million tons last year, registering a drop of 32% in import volumes, because of the consumer’s growing concern about their physical appearance and health.
Source: Gestión