Increased Asian demand for Peruvian foodstuffs
Peruvian exports of fresh food products to Asia rose to US$ 496.1 million in 2015, which means a rise of 47% compared to 2015, thanks to the rise in demand for fruit such as grapes, mangoes and citrus, among others.
As for the volume dispatched, in 2015 there were 224,554 tons exported.
The Asian country that imported most fresh produce from Peru was China (US$ 140.8 million), meaning 28.3% of Peruvian agricultural deliveries. Next came Hong Kong (US$ 101.8 million), South Korea (US$ 72.2 million), then Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, India and others; in total 32 destinations according to the figures provided by the exporters’ association ADEX.
Grapes one of Peru’s top exports to Asia
The product that saw the most volume exported was the grape (122,810 tons), which is currently one of Peru’s flagship food export products and is available at the time of the Chinese New Year.
Today, there are ever more Asian countries showing a clear trend in preference away from Red Globe to new seedless red grape varieties. However, despite the increase in demand from China, the United States is still the main destination market for fresh Peruvian grapes, accounting for 29% of the total exported.
Citrus and other emerging products
Another sector that is increasing its potential in Asia is Peruvian citrus. According to ADEX, these products have achieved greater production in recent years, above all in mandarins, which are harvested all year, peaking between April and August. Great expectations have been aroused by the recent introduction of these products into Japan.
ADEX reports that in addition to grapes and citrus, the products most in demand from Asian countries include mangoes, coffee, fresh seaweed, asparagus, cocoa beans, quinoa, bananas, maca, maca flour and giant white corn.
