Peruvian Organic products have a great opportunity to gain market share in the United States in the coming years because of the significant reception they have had, said Peru's Commercial Office in Washington (United States).
Imports of organic products in the United States have registered a significant growth in the first five months of the year, allowing Peru to have a glimpse of the interesting opportunity to export organic products from Peru that this country poses, they said.
They said that exports of organic products to the United States might increase with the signing of a recognition agreement between the National Organic Program (NOP) of the United States and Peru's National Service of Agrarian Health (Senasa).
The NOP is part of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture of United States (USDA) and oversees the organic production of fresh agricultural products in the country, framed under the Organic Act of 1990 and the code of federal regulations (CFR).
With this agreement the NOP would accredit Senasa, which, in turn, would accredit Peruvian companies, hence, it would be these companies that would certify the Peruvian organic production according to USDA standards.
"This would ensure that Peru reaches a significant share of the increasingly consolidated US market for organic products," they said.
According to the figures provided by the USDA, the import of organic products in the United States reached 693.6 million dollars between January and May, i.e., almost four percent more than what was achieved in all of 2011, and 43 per percent more than all of 2012.
Imports of organic products in this country reached 667.4 million dollars in 2011, and only 484.5 million in 2012.
The process of implementation of the new law on food safety in the United States (known as the FSMA, for its acronym in English) by the administration of the food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains this result.
Source: www.agronegociosperu.org