According to the Peruvian Foreign Trade Company (ComexPeru), Peruvian exports of pecans between 2012 and 2016 grew by 11% each year, going from US $4 million to US $ 6.2 million.
This growth is explained by several factors, such as an increased demand from China, said Juan Durler, general manager of Alpha Trading International, the main exporting company of pecans, with $ 3 million billed last year. In fact, this destination represents 91% of the total exported.
The fact that the local producers have all bet on the Maham variety (5 to 7 centimeters long) favors the positioning of Peru as a supplier, as well as the current prices of the dried fruit. A decade ago the traders paid 7 to 8 soles per kilo in origin, while today it is collected for no less than 20 soles per kilo, he stated.
Even though there are no official statistics, the businessman estimates that there are around 500 hectares of pecans currently in production, most of which are in Ica. Plantations have also been installed in Huaral (Lima), but Ica's product has a better aroma and a firmer shell, he said.
With yields of at least 80 kilos per tree, at 100 trees per hectare, the business offers a nearly 20% return per hectare, which starts at 32 thousand soles. In that sense, Durler said he expected the area devoted to this product in Ica would triple in the next five years. Several agricultural exporting companies are promoting nut cultivation in Ica as a replacement for asparagus, whose yields have fallen in recent years, he said.
Source: Día 1 - El Comercio