William Daga Avalos, a fruit specialist from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, said that growing raspberries could be a profitable business for small producers who only had one hectare or less.
He said that a farmer could produce 30 to 40 kilos of raspberry per day in half a hectare. He also said that the average price of the fruit stood at 30 soles per kilogram.
"Peru has its own raspberry varietes, such as the Heritage, Adelita, and Lupita. That means that we have developed our own technology, according to our climate and soils," he said.
This technology, he said, refers to the proper management of irrigation, fertilization, pest and disease control, pruning system, among other agronomic management that must be performed.
William Daga said there were two types of raspberry: The ones that only yield fruit once, during summer; and the ones that give two crops, one at the end of summer, and once at the beginning of the following summer.
He also said that raspberry was currently being cultivated in Cajamarca, Huanuco, Ancash, Lima (Huarochirí), and Arequipa, among other places in Peru. The most cultivated variety, he said, was the Heritage.
Peru currently has about 80 hectares planted with raspberries. Last year, the Andean country's raspberry exports amounted to nearly US $ 68,000. The main destination markets were Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France.
Source: agraria.pe
