Comex Peru explained that this
increase in raspberry exports would be consolidated if the product enters the
United States, the main partner of Peru's agro-export sector.
The Peruvian Foreign Trade
Society (Comex Peru) estimated that the raspberry would be the new Peruvian
fruit with the highest export expectations among national products for the
coming years.
The union specified that Peruvian
raspberries have only been exported in small quantities to different countries
for amounts not exceeding US $ 5,000. However, this situation could change if
the product enters the United States, the main partner of Peru's agro-export
sector, an issue that has been working on.
If this happens, the Peruvian
raspberry could follow a similar route to that of blueberries, the flagship
product of the country's agro-export basket.
"In addition, the entry of
the Peruvian raspberry to the United States would cause the interest in
investing in this crop by Peruvian agroindustrial companies to increase
exponentially," said Rafael Zacnich, Manager of Economic Studies at Comex
Peru.
Comex Peru explained that in
2019, the United States imported raspberries for a total of US $ 1.36 million,
an increase of almost 20% compared to the previous year. This evolution has
been constant since 2017 and it is estimated that it would continue in this
line, an aspect that would be very beneficial for Peruvian raspberries and, in
general, for the national agro-export basket.
If they were to enter this
market, Peruvian agro-exporters would have Mexico as their main competitor,
which accounts for 99% of raspberry purchases from the United States. In 2019,
the Mexican agro-export sector sold raspberries to the United States for US $
1.35 million.
Other products
The Comex Peru representative
explained that raspberry heads and is part of a group of six new agro-export
products that have a great potential demand abroad and that could gain
prominence in the Peruvian agro-export basket in the coming years.
The other crops are granadilla,
aguaymanto, pitahaya and turmeric. He specified that cherry is also the seventh
product, but its cultivation is still in a trial period.
Zacnich said that turning that
potential into a reality will depend on the United States issuing sanitary authorizations
for them to enter its market.
"A factor that demonstrates
the opportunity these fruits would have is that since the pandemic began, in
the main markets of the world they are looking for crops that have antioxidants
and are healthy," he said.
Therefore, he added, it is very
likely that they will be consolidated in the coming years. "We know the
interest they generate and the potential they can have when health certificates
are obtained, not necessarily in 2021, but in the coming years," he said.
These products are currently sent as samples
to different markets. Only the granadilla is already exported to destinations
such as Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, France and Italy. Granadilla shipments
in 2019 reached US $ 345,00
