Alejandro Cabrera, head of the Peruvian association of table grape producers, Provid, told Bloomberg that exporters and producers in the industry were struggling to recover from two weeks of blockades and protests and that some fruits were being diverted from the Asian continent to closer markets, such as Central America, to ensure that the grapes arrive in perfect conditions.
While it's true that in the last decade, exports tripled overcoming the social unrest of the past, the social outbreak after the removal of former President Pedro Castillo in December has been particularly harmful, as it coincided with a key moment for the fruit, which has remained in the field or in storage longer than normal.
Last year, Provid forecasted that Peru would export 73 million boxes (about 598,000 tons) of table grapes this season, i.e. 13% more than the record volume achieved in the previous season, which would allow Peru to surpass Chile and become the leading exporter of grapes. However, the association will now undertake a further review of those forecasts.
In addition, as the industry catches up after the protests, it faces the possibility of delivery congestion or deteriorating quality, said Gonzalo Salinas, a product analyst at Rabobank.
“We can expect the average selling price to decrease if the volume of Peruvian table grapes reaching the market is too concentrated or if the quality is not good,” he said in a telephone interview. “The Peruvian fruits have a longer shelf life, but we still have to see if the disruption will have any effect. It's still a delicate situation,” Salinas stated.
Source: Bloomberg / simfruit.cl