This year, the low temperatures (two degrees lower than normal) delayed the early table grape campaign in northern Peru. As a result, the production in Piura that will be harvested in September would be shipped out in mid-October, affecting the volume exported to Central America, South America (Colombia), and the United States.
"However, the harvest is expected to normalize by the end of October, when exporters start shipping important volumes to the European Union and Asia. In addition, this year exporters will ship at least six containers to a new market: Japan," stated Guillermo Leon, president of the Agricultural Committee of Piura's Chamber of Commerce.
Piura is expected to increase its export volume by 10% in the 2022-2023 campaign, to a total of 11,500 forty-foot containers. 70% of the grapes exported will correspond to patented white grapes, 25% to Red Globe, and the remaining 5% to black grapes. This season the production area amounts to 7,600 hectares, 600 of which entered production this year.
Organic white grapes will enter their second year of production
Hundreds of hectares of organic white grapes from all over northern Peru, which are installed in Piura and belong to the Ecosac and AgrÃcola Saturno companies, will enter their second year of production in this campaign.
"The production volume will increase and allow us to send more shipments to England and the United States. However, we are still carrying out tests to see if prices justify continuing with organic farming or not," Guillermo Leon said, recalling that organic grape production per hectare is 30% lower than conventional grape production. "The results of this campaign will be key to expanding the hectares of organic grapes in the coming months."
The expansions would be concentrated in the area of Medio Piura, he stated. Replacing hectares of conventional grapes with organic varieties would not be profitable because the migration process would take three years, he stressed.
Source: gestion.pe