The cultivation of Tango seedless mandarins continues to expand in Peru, where interest is growing in planting citrus fruits that will make it possible to export to the most demanding markets.
Seeking the genetic improvement of citrus plants, the Peruvian company Vivero Los Viñedos has closed commercial alliances with Eurosemillas, the leading Spanish company in plant innovation, which has been working in the international markets for more than 50 years and has been the exclusive licensee of the University of California since 1989. Today, it represents and manages more than 100 varieties of different species and is the largest Spanish company in terms of revenue from patents.
"The pandemic has given a boost to the consumption of citrus fruits," says Mercedes Auris, CEO and owner of Vivero Los Viñedos. "Peruvian citrus prices rose notably last year, even in the domestic market. This has encouraged Peruvian producers to invest more on planting citrus fruits for export and the demand for seedlings has grown,” she says.
“We have been seeking a genetic improvement that could offer guarantees for export to our customers, so we had been trying to add the Tango to our catalog for some time, and we have finally succeeded. We are now licensed to propagate this highly demanded mandarin variety in the international markets. Depending on the climate and location, it becomes fully ripe in the month of January”.
“The Tango offers many advantages, with the most noteworthy being that it will contain no seeds under any pollination conditions; that it's easy to peel, with a thin skin, and that it has an intense orange color and a pulp with a delicious flavor. Furthermore, it is backed by strong marketing campaigns. It is a highly productive variety, with a significant price differential for each kilo sold in the international markets, which makes it interesting and profitable for the producer,” says Mercedes Auris.
Peru is exporting heavily to the United States and Europe and it has recently gained access to the United Kingdom and China, further encouraging the expansion of the acreage devoted to mandarin cultivation. "I think that Peru's mandarin production is going to grow a lot, given that the country is also looking to plant varieties that can be harvested between October and January," says the CEO of Vivero Los Viñedos.
The family-owned company has more than 26 years of experience and is considered one of the most prestigious and innovative nurseries in Peru. It is mainly devoted to the production and marketing of avocados, table grapes, cherries, citrus fruits, olives, blueberries, pomegranates and other fruit plants.
"Our flagship product is table grapes, of which we market about 3.5 million plants annually, working with prestigious breeding programs such as ITUM, Genesis Innovation, SNFL, Sun World or ARRA, among others. We also produce around 1.2 million avocado plants and work with some 300,000 citrus plants annually, with the prospect to reach half a million this year. 80% of these correspond to the Tango variety. Our portfolio of clients includes leading companies in the agribusiness industry, such as Camposol, Danper, Complejo Agroindustrial Beta, Vanguar or Grupo Manuelita, among others."
For more information
Lenny Carbajal Infantes
Vivero Los Viñedos
T:0056 272194
lcarbajal@vlv.pe
www.vlv.pe