Kiwis, avocados, apples, grapes, pears, granadillas, melons, blueberries, and mangoes are some of the 36 fruits that the country imported in 2017. 88% of them come from Chile and Argentina. According to traders there are three reasons why they chose them.
According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), prepared by the private Bolivian Foreign Trade Institute (IBCE), 52% of the fruit imported last year originated in Chile, 36% in Argentina, 6% in Peru, 5% in Brazil, and 1% in other countries.
"The value of fruit imports doubled during the 2010-2017 period, reaching its peak in 2015 with US $24 million for the sale of more than 53,000 tons," the IBCE reported on its website.
However, in the last three years, the INE registered an 11% fall with respect to the value of purchases, as these imports amounted to US $23.8 million in 2015 (its highest peak), US $22 million in 2016, and us $ 21.4 million last year.
70% of the fruits imported last year were apples. They were followed by pears, grapes, almonds, and kiwis, according to the report of the IBCE. "The country imported a total of 36 fruits in 2017, and 70% of the volume corresponded to apples."
According to a survey of saleswomen, customers choose some imported fruits because they look better, are sweeter and last longer.
Source: la-razon.com