In 2015 agricultural exports increased by 3.8% and they were one of the few non-traditional sectors that maintained an upward trend, driven by shipments of asparagus and mangos, stated the Foreign Trade Society of Peru (ComexPeru).
In 2015, they stated, asparagus positioned itself as the second largest Peruvian export product, just below grapes, with a growth of 8.9%. Shipments of asparagus between 2010 and 2015 grew at an average annual rate of 7.6%, according to data from Sunat.
It's worth noting that 64% of the asparagus shipments in 2015 were destined for the US market, followed by the UK (11%) and the Netherlands (10%), among others, a trend that continued in the first months of this year.
ComexPeru said that in the first quarter of 2016 the country had exported 17,700 tons of asparagus for $71 million dollars , i.e. 3.2% less than in the same period of 2015, which would indicate there was a lower production.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, asparagus production in February this year fell by 4.2% over the same period of 2015. La Libertad and Ica account for 90% of the asparagus production.
According to Comex, Peruvian producers face increased competition in the international market. In 2015, US imports of asparagus from Peru grew by 5.5%, while imports of asparagus from Mexico grew by 12.5% and from Ecuador 48.5%.
Mangos
According to ComexPeru, mango has become the fourth largest agricultural export product (2015), after recording the highest growth rates in the sector.
Between 2010 and 2015 they grew at an average annual rate of 16.9%, while in 2015 they grew by 40.8%; thus achieving the highest growth rate in the sector, according to data from ComexPeru.
The main destinations of this product are the Netherlands, which in 2015 concentrated 41% of the market, the US (28%), and the UK (10%), among others.
By March, mango exports had declined by 17.3% because of a lower production in February, mainly in Piura (-86.9%), which accounts for 93% of the national production of this fruit.
There was also a sharp drop in demand in its main markets. According to data from Sunat, between January and March this year exports to the Netherlands and the United States decreased by 26.8% and 22.4%, respectively.
"According to the data, the agricultural sector's dynamism is what's promoting the exports of the non-traditional sector. It is extremely important to boost their competitiveness through greater investment in infrastructure and logistics, from the fields to logistics chains," stated ComexPeru.
Source: andina.com.pe