2022 was a good year for the Peruvian grapes. The country exported 573,006 tons for US $1.403 billion, achieving a 10% increase in volume and value, with a stable price of US $2.45 per kilogram.
“2022 was a very positive year, so we expected 2023 would also be very fruitful. However, the beginning of the year presented a context with great challenges as the social conflicts in the south made it difficult to dispatch grapes from Ica, and Cyclone Yaku generated restrictions on exports from the north of the country, especially from Piura. Despite this, grape shipments increased by approximately 18% in the first quarter.”
“In 2023, the yield per hectare will continue to increase thanks to previous years' investments in varietal change. We project the country will produce more than 600,000 tons, i.e. 11% to 13% more than in the previous year.
“Meanwhile, price forecasts are more conservative. The South African and Indian products are well established in the European market and competition will continue to be strong in North America. Thus, prices are expected to remain the same as last year or fall slightly (-2%). As a result, we expected the exported value would increase by 10% to 12%, exceeding US $1.54 billion this year.
However, climate phenomena have been a challenge for the industry and represent a threat that, far from being latent, is increasingly real. “The harvest and dispatch of many products, including grapes, has been delayed due to flooding in the north of the country. In addition, the rains negatively affected crop growth in regions such as Piura. The large amounts of water caused by this phenomenon alter fertigation procedures, which can have an impact on the final yield per hectare. Moreover, the possible arrival of El Niño Global phenomenon would further affect the grape's growth stages and its processing.”
Despite this, the export volume forecast for this year has not fallen dramatically,” Fresh Fruit stated. “The sector has great expectations about the strength of the modernization and prevention measures incorporated into the crops in recent years, so we still expect to achieve a 9% to 11% growth in volume and a stable price this year.”
Source: freshfruit.pe