In Chincha, a province in the Ica region, Peru's hub for fruit exports, Packing del Carmen offers post-harvest processing services to exporters of mandarins, avocados, blueberries, pomegranates, asparagus, dragon fruit, and table grapes. They handle both fresh and frozen produce.
"We run continuously during peak season, with extended shifts," says operations manager Gerardo Silupu. "Because we work with such a wide range of crops, our activity stretches across the entire year."
Packing del Carmen's clients include small, mid-sized, and even large companies. "Larger exporters usually have their own packhouses, but even they turn to us when demand exceeds their capacity," Silupu adds. Today, about 100 growers and 25 exporters rely on their services.
© Packing del Carmen
Mandarins, avocados, and asparagus
In the 2025 season, the company—still young at just three years old—processed 33,000 tons of mandarins. They used two 6-lane Reemoon grading machines with Fruscan S7 Pro vision systems. "From early February to mid-March, we focus on early varieties like Satsuma and Primosole, which fetch better prices locally than for export," explains commercial manager Valentina Aguilar. "Then we move into the later varieties—Orri, W. Murcott, and Tango—which make up the bulk of our annual volume."
Avocados are the second-largest product in their portfolio. "We closed the season with 17,000 tons," says Silupu. "It starts in January with fruit from the highlands, then moves to the coastal regions. Our Maf Roda line runs nonstop until the end of August, sorting by weight, color, size, and external defects. Besides Hass, we also handle Ettinger, Zutano, and Fuerte."
Asparagus comes from northern Cañete during the first half of the year, and from Pisco and Ica in the second half, during the peak season. "In 2025, we expect to reach 3,500 tons. It's handled in a separate facility equipped for both fresh and frozen processing," he explains. "And the frozen category is clearly growing: blueberries, avocados, dragon fruit, and pomegranate arils, among others. We're already investing in expanding our freezing services to meet that demand."
© Packing del Carmen
Competitive pricing
Packing del Carmen also handles fresh pomegranates, blueberries, dragon fruit, and table grapes, though at smaller volumes. "Dragon fruit cultivation is expanding in the region, which opens up business opportunities for us. But our bigger goal is to grow our share in blueberries. It's a strategic product both for the markets and for a packing business like ours," says Silupu.
"The challenge is that most of the supply is in the hands of large companies with their own facilities. Still, we're making headway, building relationships with exporters and highlighting our strengths: specialized service, competitive pricing, flexibility, and most importantly, the fact that we're not their competitors. Since we don't produce our own fruit, we can prioritize theirs."
Although Ica produces nearly half of Peru's export-grade table grapes, this product has been hard to integrate into Packing del Carmen's operations. The reasons are clear: grape packing is labor-intensive, most vineyards are owned by large agro-industrial companies with in-house infrastructure, and many growers near Ica are reluctant to send their harvest to Chincha. "It's not even a 90-minute trip," says Silupu. "We still have work to do convincing them their fruit won't lose quality in transit."
© Packing del Carmen
The battle for labor
The company currently employs 120 permanent staff, but during peak citrus and avocado seasons, the workforce swells to as many as 800. "Our big question is whether we'll be able to keep hiring at this pace in two or three years," says Silupu. "Labor is becoming scarce, especially when the blueberry and grape harvests overlap. Blueberries in particular demand a lot of hands, and plantings are still increasing in both Cañete and Pisco. A real competition for workers is on the horizon. That's why automation is a must in sorting, packing, and logistics. Though there are crops, such as asparagus and grapes, where manual labor will still be essential."
Organic production
Part of the volume Packing del Carmen processes is organic, mainly avocados, blueberries, and dragon fruit. "We don't yet have dedicated organic lines, but we schedule these lots at the beginning of shifts to avoid any mix with conventional fruit," Aguilar explains.
On the certification side, the company is proactive. "We maintain all current documentation and are constantly adding new certifications to meet market requirements," says quality assurance deputy manager Paola Marchena.
Just three years ago, the company handled 7,000 tons of fruit. This year, it expects to close with 66,000 tons. "And in 2026, we aim for another 15% increase, ideally with long-term partners," says Silupu. "We're confident we'll get there. Our commitment to quality, flexibility, installed capacity, and ongoing investment in technology gives us a solid foundation to keep growing."
For more information:
Packing del Carmen SAC
New Pan American Highway South km. 204
El Carmen (Chincha) – Peru
Gerardo Silupu (COO)
Phone: +51 933 236 972
[email protected]
Valentina Aguilar (commercial manager)
Phone: +51 965 346 293
[email protected]
https://packingdelcarmen.webflow.io/
