The cherimoya is a Peruvian fruit that, little by little, is being made known abroad. Year after year shipments of this fruit, both in fresh and in frozen pulp, are increasing.
Agraria.pe talked with the fruit specialist of the Agricultural Directorate General (DGA) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (Minagri), William Daga Avalos, who said that in order for the cherimoya exports to take off producers had to work on its genetics.
In this regard, he said that the fruit needed to have a thicker skin to better resist being transported and that would also facilitate its detachment from the pulp, as the cherimoya is eaten with a spoon in international markets.
"This fruit has an important future. In the next 3 years there should be research on the fruit's post harvest so that it can have a better trip by sea and so that producers are able to ship higher volumes," he said.
He also said that exporting the fruit by air was complicated, not only because of the very expensive freights, but also because there were logistics issues. "The fruit arrives at the airport and producers don't know if it's leaving that day or the next day and they might have to leave their cargo there without refrigeration, that is the risk that they take."
Existing varieties
Regarding the existing varieties, he said that the Cumbe and Rayan variety (which is in the process of being patented) have an excellent quality for export purposes because they are uniform fruits (cylindrical) that can be worked for different markets.
However, he pointed out that there were other varieties of cherimoya in the germplasm banks, but that they did not have a good skin quality (shell).
He added that international markets were looking for a medium-sized fruit (between 300 and 600 grams), with a very white and bittersweet pulp.
"Peru is very good at exporting mangoes, avocados and grapevines, but none of these fruits are Peruvian. The cherimoya is a Peruvian fruit and national fruit producers must work to strengthen this fruit so that it reaches the world markets," he said.
National Production
William Daga said Peru currently had 3,500 hectares of cherimoya, which had an average yield of 14 tons per hectare. 1,800 of these hectares are sown in Lima (Barranca, Supe, Huacho, Huaral, Huarochirí and Yauyos), as well as in Ayacucho, the Ica mountain range, La Libertad and Cajamarca.
Of the total production (49 thousand tons), 20% goes to Ecuador and Bolivia, 3% to Europe (mainly to Spain, Germany, and France), and the country also makes shipments to Canada.
The fruit specialist of the Minagri DGA said that they were seeking to introduce Peruvian cherimoya to the United States and Colombia, countries where the corresponding procedures have already been initiated. "There are areas of Lima that are already free of fruit fly, which makes it possible to open those markets."
Source: agraria.pe