Three months before the end of the Peruvian table grape export campaign, which began in August and generally runs until April, the export sector expects the export volume will drop by more than 10% over the previous season, mainly due to climate changes that have negatively impacted production. The real impact on production is expected towards the end of the campaign.
Alejandro Cabrera, the general manager of the Association of Table Grape Producers of Peru (Provid), said that shipments up to December 2023 increased, as the country exported 47.2 million boxes of 8.2 kilograms, a higher number when compared to the 41.2 million boxes it shipped at the end of 2022.
However, weather events such as Cyclone Yaku and the El Niño phenomenon advanced the season by approximately 25 days, negatively affecting the volume of shipments in the northern and southern regions of the country. For example, despite achieving an initially positive performance in November, shipments from the northern region decreased by more than 30%.
"In the 2022-2023 campaign, the country shipped 71.4 million boxes of 8.2 kilograms. Based on this, in our last projection, we already estimated a 10% drop in exports. Now we are gathering information from producers because we expect the drop will be greater," he said.
Fortunately, prices were good in some countries, such as the United States, which is the main shipping destination with a 46% share at the end of December 2023. Grape production in the US was also low this season because of a natural phenomenon; as a result, US demand for grapes was greater.
"The lower local supply in the United States drove up their demand, so there were some weeks in which the price of grapes was better than in other years. This higher price might compensate for the lower volume," the expert stated.
However, he clarified, the situation in the US is not the norm. It is a temporary situation and does not apply to all export destinations.
According to Cabrera, countries such as South Africa, Australia, Chile, and Brazil, which coincide with the Peruvian campaign, could benefit from sending higher volumes to countries that buy grapes. He stressed the importance of evaluating varietal turnover, suggesting that producers migrate to grape varieties that are more resistant to climate change. Currently, 70% of the planted varieties are licensed, more productive, and better tasting. The remaining 30% are of traditional varieties that could be replaced. The less affected licensed varieties include the Sweet Globe, Allison, and Autumn Crisp grapes.
Source: gestion.pe