The Peruvian citrus industry has evolved significantly in the last fifteen years, which has allowed increasing exports significantly, said the president of the Association of Citrus Producers of Peru (ProCitrus), Alfonso Rizo Patron.
Until a few years ago, he said, Peru cultivated citrus varieties that had a limited demand in international markets; a situation that has been changing very successfully.
"This positions Peru as an important producer in the southern hemisphere. In 2017 became the leading exporters of mandarin in the Americas," he said.
The change of varieties, many of which are patented and have better consumption characteristics, such as sweetness, lack of seeds, and easy peeling, have allowed Peru to position itself as a very important supplier of the North American, European, and Asian markets, he added. Citrus exports have been growing at an average annual rate of 10% to 12%, which goes hand in hand with the growth of the market.
Rizo Patron said that one of their achievements was changing consumption habits in the northern hemisphere. During summer, fruit consumption concentrates on melons, watermelons, and grapes. However, Peru is managing to place its products in the supermarket shelves and to compete with its fruits.
Unlike other fruit trees, citrus fruits need several years of waiting (three to four years) to start producing fruits, and they need cooler climates. Hence, the importance of new irrigation projects in southern Peru.
As a guild, ProCitrus is very attentive to the producer's needs, providing them with training to improve their production techniques, introduction to new technologies, negotiation and advice in opening new markets, and promoting consumption in the Peruvian market.
"We have signed an agreement with the Polytechnic University of Valencia, which allows us to offer long distance training from this prestigious university to our associates. At the local level, we work hand in hand with Senasa to develop phytosanitary protocols that allow us to access new markets, such as Japan, China and Brazil," said the president of ProCitrus.
Source: AGAP Horizon