The emergence of a new group of products, such as capsicum (chillies and peppers), promises to bring a new growth momentum to the economy of Lambayeque and several regions, which will generate added value and more jobs, said the president of the Association of Exporters (ADEX), Eduardo Amorrortu.
Amorrortu stated at the opening of the VI International Capsicum Convention that, in recent years, different regions of the country had planted the vision of a new agricultural sector with high export potential.
"This year we arrived in Lambayeque with two great ideas: the opportunity provided by the Pacific Alliance to project Peruvian chillies and peppers in cuisine to the world, and the recent opening of the US market for the export of fresh capsicum," he said.
The president of ADEX stated that capsicum exports had increased by 13 percent so far this year. 57 percent of exports were canned capsicum, 41 percent dry capsicum, and the remaining 2 percent was frozen and fresh capsicum.
He stressed that these figures reflected the product’s growth capacity, especially for the fresh capsicum, as the use of new technologies, such as the implementation of mesh houses, will triple productivity.
"If we combine factors, such as having more markets and being more productive, the result in the coming years will be that this new engine of local and regional growth will also be an important engine for job creation and quality of life for producers," he said.
Northern contribution
In turn, Renzo Gómez, chairman of ADEX’s Capsicum Committee, said that Peru currently had approximately 15,000-18,000 hectares devoted to capsicum. 70 percent of these are in the northern macro region (La Libertad, Lambayeque and Piura). Lambayeque is the region with the biggest production area as it has 35% of the country’s productive area.
"Currently, canned chillies and peppers lead capsicum exports but, thanks to the access to the US market, the landscape and the export basket can change. Fresh capsicum could rebound because the United States imports 800 million dollars a year in capsicum," he said.
To do so, he added, the sector required having access to new technologies to improve the production’s competitiveness (under home screen) for the shipment of these products.
Sixth Edition of the International Convention of Capsicum
The VI International Convention of Capsicum was organized by ADEX and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MINAGRI), the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RR.EE.) and the Peruvian Promotion Board of Exports and Tourism (PromPeru).
The event, which was called "Innovating and consolidating the Peruvian capsicum", was held on October 2 and 3 at the Casa Andina Hotel, and had the participation of national and international specialists. The topics discussed included capsicum varieties, promoting the opening and access to new markets, and encouraging technological innovation and research for the development of capsicum.
The convention had four modules: Safety, Health & Access; Competitiveness; Markets & Trends; and "Innovation".
Source: andina.com.pe