Peru produces more than one million tons of citrus fruit and has nearly 7,000 hectares of land devoted to their cultivation. By 2020, the country is expected to produce 700,000 tons of tangerines.
The pressure exerted by the strong real estate development in the towns near citrus crops is increasing the price of the hectares devoted for production, such as the land used to grow Tangerines north and south of Lima.
The general manager of the Citrus Growers Association of Peru (ProCitrus), Sergio del Castillo, said that "if you buy hectares in Huaral, Santa Rosa (Sayan) or Cañete, they are relatively expensive as they can cost about 50,000."
This trend would be taking place in agricultural areas in close proximity to urban areas due to the growth in construction, and would be motivating farmers to sell their land dedicated to this type of citrus, he said.
Sector and trends
According to ProCitrus 75% of the national production of tangerines is consumed domestically and the remaining 25% is exported to about 30 countries, including the United States, Canada and Russia. "The tangerine category has the biggest growth worldwide," said Del Castillo. Tangerine consumption is expected to double in the next five years and amount to 700,000 tons in 2020.
Citrus
Citrus production amounts to 1.08 million tons of tangerines, oranges, tangelos and lemons, and during the last year had record production. Del Castillo said that, unlike tangerine, orange is not exported and is intended for internal consumption (juices). Currently, Junín is the largest producer of oranges in the country.
ProCitrus has 140 companies that work some 7,000 hectares citrus production. There are more than 1,000 varieties of citrus worldwide.
Tangerine production will amount to 355,000 tons
Currently, the country’s per capita tangerine consumption is 10 kilos per year and the intention, as part of a campaign organized by ProCitrus, is to increase it to 20 kilos per year to match consumption in countries like Colombia, Chile and Ecuador.
This year’s tangerine production is expected to amount to 355,000 tons. Lima, Ica and Junín are the mayor producers.
Source: Gestion.pe
