"Peru has the potential to become a leading strawberry producer"

"Strawberries are a fruit that needs no advertising to be sold; consumers see them and they want to buy them," states Andrés Astorga, of Agrícola Llahuen, in an interview. "Every year, our nursery produces more than 100 million strawberry plants, which are mainly exported within South America, but some varieties go to the Far East. In any case, Chile remains one of the major consumers and producers of South America, mainly for domestic consumption and frozen exports," assures the spokesperson.

If we take into account that the American and European markets pay almost double the price reached in the domestic market in South America, the production of this fruit is a profitable option for the growers. "The implementation of technologies is our main investment right now, because we have enough producers, but we need a better management of the resources. Countries with much potential, such as Peru, have all the natural resources to produce a great volume of strawberries, but to reach this level, we first need to develop the methodologies and change our philosophy," assures Astorga.

"Logistical issues are also a problem, as the roads and the authorities need to prepare for a production model oriented to the export of 'sensitive' fruits. We see Peru as the world's most suitable country for the cultivation of strawberries, because its soil and climatic conditions are better than those of Chile and California. If we add that the Peruvian growers are very productive workers and achieve high quality results, Peru has the potential to successfully meet the needs of the international markets," continues the representative.

"We are also working with other countries with plenty of potential, such as Colombia, which also need a very large investment in logistics. Furthermore, given the country's regional climatic conditions, you need a more sophisticated land management and the use of greenhouses is strictly necessary. Due to a cultural issue, this process is taking much longer than in other regions, so they are long-term projects, but with a satisfactory and long-lasting result," concludes Andrés Astorga.

For more information:
Andrés Astorga
Agrícolas Llahuen SA.
T: + 569 94382414
E: aastorga@llahuen.com
www.llahuen.com