The Peruvian media has been offering extensive information on the rains and floods that the country is suffering. The big question in our sector is how this unfortunate situation is affecting crops in Peru. Apparently, grapes, mangoes and lemons have not been directly affected, since the campaigns ended before the rains started. GRALL, the regional management of Agricultura de La Libertad, reports that damage has been caused to around 4,000 hectares of crops, mainly rice and cane sugar, but also asparagus, peppers and corn. The damages are estimated at 31 million dollars. The most affected provinces are Virú, Trujillo, Otuzco, Chepén and Gran Chimú.
The Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation (Minagri), José Manuel Hernández, explained to the media that in Piura the rains have affected the production of organic bananas; however, the most affected bananas are those of Sullana, not because the production itself has been damaged, but because the roads have been damaged. Mario Arellano, deputy manager of investments in the Piura region, explains that, in his opinion, the main problem is that most of the fruit is spoiled before it reaches the port.
Beta Agroindustrial, based in Piura and Lambayeque, has not been seriously affected by the rains and floods in the north of the country, according to its CEO, Lionel Arce Obregozo, in a statement to the Peruvian press. He explains that his grape campaign finished in January, which means that the floods have only damaged the next harvest indirectly, as the fertility of the land has been affected. His main concern is that the high humidity could lead to the appearance of a fungus that could cause significant losses if not handled in time.
He adds that the rains have made it impossible to enter the fields and harvest the avocados and it will still be a few more days before they can begin. Fortunately, the asparagus season begins in early May, so there is no need to harvest yet. However, the production is likely to be affected by the rainfall and high temperatures. He points out that the blueberry production in the north of Peru has been affected by problems of regrowth and some delays or advances in the harvest. This could lead to higher prices, although that will also depend on the production in Mexico and the United States.
Moreover, there are problems ahead in the Peruvian domestic market for, for example, physalis. A producer in the Kañaris area (Lambayeque region) pointed out to the Peruvian press that the roads have been damaged and that it is impossible for them to be used to transport their products to the coastal markets. They have been left totally isolated and this causes great economic issues for these producers, since they usually market around 3,000 kilos per week.
