Sergio del Castillo Valderrama, the general manager of the Association of Citrus Producers of Peru (ProCitrus), reported that Peru is the second-largest mandarin exporter in the southern hemisphere (after South Africa) and the first in South America. Globally, it ranks seventh.
In terms of citrus fruits in general (mandarin, tangelo, orange, grapefruit, lemon), Peru ranks as the world's 14th biggest exporter and the 21st producer.
"This promising position in the case of mandarins allows Peru to be a second reference, a counterweight in the fruit's price, which has always been established by South Africa due to the high volume they export (more than twice as much as Peru)," he said.
The general manager of ProCitrus said that Peru must improve its competitiveness to continue positioning the Peruvian mandarin (and citrus) supply.
"Citrus is a low-priced fruit. Thus, producers stopped growing some low-priced mandarin varieties that did not achieve high productive yields and quality, causing a decrease in the area planted for export, which are located on the central coast (Lima and Ica, mainly). We are waiting for the publication of a new agrarian law that will restore some of that competitiveness," he said.
Sergio del Castillo stressed that there have been no new citrus plantations in the country for the past three years and that the growth recorded this year is due to the recovery of plants that were affected by weather issues in 2023 and by the last areas installed in 2021, which have already entered production, although the latter represents a minor boost. He added that the national nurseries currently produce grape, blueberry, and avocado plants, but no citrus, as they are not in demand.
He also stressed that 2024 has been a good year in terms of volume and price for citrus. However, he added, the sector still hasn't recovered to make investments.
He indicated that 2025 is expected to be a good year for mandarins, but that there was a certain risk for lemons because of the serious drought affecting Piura, the main production area. "All fruit trees gain weight with water. If they receive less water, they produce lower caliber fruits that are not well received in the markets, lowering prices," he added.
He also said that the drought was noticeable in Piura but that there was a water shortage throughout the country. He added that he hoped there would be no restrictions on irrigation on the central coast during the summer season because, when it stops raining in the highlands, authorities can prioritize the water resource for human consumption and restrict its use for irrigation.
Source: agraria.pe