Peru's table grape campaign has already started and the production is expected to grow by around 16% compared to the previous season. This means 7 million more boxes, which will bring the season's total to 56 million boxes.
"This week, we are starting the harvest of the first organic seedless red varieties and later we will continue with the white varieties," says Renzo Muro, General Manager of the Peruvian company Fundo Los Paltos, which exports a good share of its table grapes. "In week 49, we will make the first shipments and we expect our product to reach the US market by week 50," he says.
Fundo Los Paltos will supply organic seedless table grapes for 10 weeks, with the prospect of reaching 100,000 boxes in various presentations. "We are proud of the fact that, given the coronavirus situation, the personnel limitations and the safety measures implemented by the Government, the planning and organization of our harvests and packaging have been carried out with a new variable: biosecurity," says Renzo.
“We are one of the few Peruvian companies that produce organic grapes. We decided to work on this segment because consumer trends are increasingly oriented towards healthier and more environmentally friendly products,” says Renzo Muro.
“While table grape exporters from other countries are treating the fruit with methyl bromide to avoid the costly cold treatment required by the United States, we stick to the bio philosophy and try to ensure that the cold chain isn't broken from the moment the fruit is harvested. After we harvest the bunches, it takes us only 6 hours to bring the fruit's temperature to heated packing temperature, thanks to the fact that our packing station, located near the plantations, is fully equipped with the necessary equipment. The temperature for overseas travel is kept at 0 degrees so that the fruit can have a longer shelf life once it reaches the point of sale.”
The Peruvian company, which also exports organic avocados and mangoes, is committed to shortening the harvest and transit time so that the fruit reaches its destination in the shortest possible time. “We conduct a full analysis of the times needed for the product's harvest, packing, storage and dispatch, as well as its transport. We are very happy with the shipping companies we work with, which are achieving shorter transit times than usual,” says Renzo Muro.
When Peruvian organic grapes arrive in the United States, they will share the shelves with the last stocks of Californian grapes. “Upon our arrival in the US market, we will compete with stored grapes from California, and although this is a market with a clear preference for local produce, we will play with the advantage of offering a fresher product, harvested about 20 days before its sale, unlike the American grape. Starting in January, Peru will compete with Chile in the conventional grape market, but we will remain more alone in the organic market until the end of the campaign.”
According to the General Manager of this company, the US market has shown price stability in recent years, without notable changes. “We are concerned, however, about the impact that this pandemic is having on the consumption of organic products. By the end of the organic avocado campaign, we observed a downward trend in purchases compared to the last 6 years. It seems that the crisis is taking its toll on the purchasing power of consumers, who are choosing cheaper and more convenient products.”
More information:
Renzo Muro Suárez
Fundo Los Paltos S.A.C.
Calle Delfin 520 Urb. Buenos Aires I 2do Piso | Nuevo Chimbote, Santa - Ancash | Peru
T: +51 43 601606
M: +51 943554961
[email protected]
www.fundolospaltos.com.pe