The company Avocado Packing Company, based in the district of Chao, Trujillo, La Libertad region, has been the first to ship a container with 20 tonnes of Peruvian Hass avocados to the People's Republic of China after the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, Juan Manuel Benites, announced that Beijing authorised access of Peruvian products to this important Asian market.
The opening of the Chinese market is contributing directly to the expansion of agricultural areas devoted to agricultural exports, exceeding the 300,000 hectares initially planned for 2021. It is also estimated that the entry of Peruvian Hass avocados into China will make it possible to increase the sales revenue generated by the product by between 30 and 50 million dollars.
The signing in May of the phytosanitary protocol to export Hass avocados to the People's Republic of China was the result of seven years of hard work on the part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MINAGRI), carried out through SENASA with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the product's exporters.
The agreement was finally reached during the meeting between delegations from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the PRC (AQSIQ), chaired by Minister Zhi Shuping, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Peru, led by Minister Juan Manuel Benites and Eng. Jorge Barrenechea, head of SENASA.
During the meeting where the protocol was signed, additional discussions were held with the goal of negotiating the export of other agricultural products to the Chinese market, such as blueberries, pomegranates and dairy products, which are currently exported to several international markets.
Peru has the capacity to supply quality Hass avocados to the demanding Chinese market, which has 1,400 million potential consumers, as well as to other world markets, as the country has large areas devoted to the cultivation of this delicious fruit in the coast and some mountainous regions, all of which enjoy ideal weather conditions.
During the ceremony of the first shipment of Hass avocados to China, the manager of the Avocado Packing Company, Simón González, stressed the importance of the opening of this market, mentioning the effort made by the MINAGRI and SENASA.
He stressed the importance of the work carried out by SENASA for the benefit of the country's agricultural sector, pointing out that the doors of the company will always remain open to the directives emanating from the national health authority.
For his part, the head of SENASA La Libertad, Marco Polo Zapata, addressed the employers and employees of the Avocado Packing Company, conveying the greetings from the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation and the head of SENASA.
He thanked the employers for making it so easy for SENASA to carry out its technical work duties, since the opening of important markets for Peruvian products is not only an achievement of the state, but also of all employers and employees in La Libertad.
The main producing and exporting areas of Hass avocados in La Libertad are in the provinces of Viru, Trujillo, Ascope and Chepén, with approximately 10 thousand hectares, of which 8,000 are certified by SENASA.
The work carried out by SENASA to ensure the production and export of avocados involves the monitoring of fruit flies and quarantine pests, the certification of production sites and packing plants, the inspection and certification of the shipments, in addition to actions related to pest control, training, certifications and other phytosanitary issues intended to preserve product safety.
Hass avocado exports from La Libertad totalled 39,530 MT in 2013; in 2014, a total of 55,394 MT were shipped to various markets, and so far this year, up to July, 49,518 MT have already been exported, reaching a total of 13 international markets.
The main destinations are the United States, which received a total of approximately 23,000 MT, followed by the Netherlands with 11,000 MT, Spain with 6,000 MT and Chile, where 4,000 MT were shipped.
It should be noted that all countries take measures to prevent products infected with pests and diseases from harming their agriculture. These phytosanitary requirements are established through protocols that have to be met before the export of the products is allowed.
In 2014, Peruvian Hass avocado exports amounted to 164,714 MT, generating excess of $ 280 million in revenue; an increase of 56.7% compared to the amount exported the previous year, when 105,111 tonnes were exported (164 million dollars).