According to the commercial representative of Viveros California of Spain, Jose Cordero, this year, Peru won't export more than 6 million kilos of strawberry, i.e. 21.7% less than the 7,663,473 kilos that the country exported in 2016.
This decrease, Cordero said, is due to the lower production of strawberry caused by the El Niño Phenomenon.
The main destination markets for Peruvian strawberries, he added, are Canada, the United States, Japan, Puerto Rico, Brazil, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, Chile, and Panama.
Decrease in area
According to Cordero, Peru has 1,300 hectares of strawberries, 80% of which are installed in Lima's Norte Chico (Barranca, Huaral, and Huaura).
However, he said, the strawberry areas has decreased, as the country had 2,500 hectares of this fruit 5 years ago. Unfortunately, in recent years, the El Niño Phenomenon caused farmers to lose their seeds.
Most of the strawberry production in Peru goes to the national market, he added. For example, he said, one hectare of strawberry produces 25 tons, 11 tons of which are destined for export, while the remaining is sold to the national market.
Source: agraria.pe