According to statistics of Peruvian onion exports, in 2015 the main target market for sweet yellow onions was the United States (with 84%), followed by Spain and Chile with 8% and 5%, respectively. Meanwhile, the main target market for red onions was Colombia, which accounted for 41% of shipments.
Onions are the fourth most consumed and marketed vegetable worldwide. China and India account for 47% of the annual global onion production with production volumes that amount to 22.3 and 19.2 million tons, respectively. They are also the countries that export the most onions.
This is no coincidence as the onion is a key ingredient in cuisines worldwide - because of its versatility it can be used in almost any dish.
Peru is not among the eight largest producers in the world, but it has managed to introduce the sweet yellow onion to the international market, even though it currently exports only 10% of its production.
Last year, Peru exported 160,000 tons of onions, 71% of which were sweet yellow onions and the remainder red onions - i.e. 8% more than the country exported in 2014.
Chile, which also exports sweet yellow onions, but in smaller amounts than Peru, exported about 27,000 tons - i.e. 28% or 10,000 tons less than in 2014. Chile mainly exports its onions to Brazil (62%), Spain (13%) and the United Kingdom (10%).
Hopefully Peruvian onion exports will continue to rise because it generates wealth and progress in the producing regions, such as Arequipa, which has the country's biggest harvested area, as opposed to Ica, which has refocused the agricultural area it used to devote to this crop to other crops. It's quite a challenge.
Source: proexpansion.com