Peruvian agricultural exports totaled a record US$5.79 billion in 2016, up 9.6% from the year before, the Agriculture Ministry reported.
According to the Ministry's General Direction of Policy Assessment and Follow-up, the increase was driven by traditional and non-traditional agro-exports - up 27% and 7%, respectively.
Products bringing in the highest revenues were recorded in exports of blueberries (148%), fresh or dried clementines (144%), fresh avocados (31%) and others.
In the non-traditional agro-exports group, shipments of fresh grapes, asparagus, avocados, blueberries, mangoes, cocoa beans and Cavendish Valery bananas, among others, stood out.
Blueberries became the second largest contributor to Peru’s total agricultural exports, and the first in terms of non-traditional agro-exports.
This increase has led officials to estimate that by 2021 agro-exports are expected to double, the Association of Peruvian Farming Producers (AGAP) projected.
"Peruvian agro-exports are expected to double by 2021, boosted by greater diversification and by selling more [agricultural products] to Asia," AGAP President Ricardo Polis stated.
According to AGAP, the agriculture sector remains the second-most important field for exports, with an annual increase of 8.7%, thus totaling US$5.402 billion in 2016.
source: andina.com.pe, andina.com.pe
