Peru has become an agro-export power in the last 20 years, but today it is the world’s leading exporter of table grapes, blueberries, asparagus, and quinoa, says “La Tercera de Chile.”
Between 2012 and 2022, Peruvian agricultural exports grew at an annual rate of 10.1%, compared to a 2.4% increase in Chilean shipments. The authorities of that country hope that if this trend continues, the sector will exceed Chile’s sales in 2027, according to the southern newspaper.
Last year, Peru’s exports in this sector reached a record figure of US$7,577 million (in 1995, they were US$275 million), compared to US$10,664 million in our country (Chile). In 2027, they expect to reach US$ 12,210 million, which would allow this item to consolidate as the second engine of the country. And within it, those of fresh fruit were US$4.7 billion in 2022, while those of Chile amounted to US$7.161 million.
The Chilean Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, points out that in exports of some fruit species such as avocados, table grapes, and blueberries, Chile has been surpassed in volume by Peruvian shipments.
“It can be observed that there would be a complementarity in the production and export of both countries, although there would also be an overlap that could be increased from Peru due to the use of new varieties, later or earlier, the entry of new productive areas thanks to irrigation and the climatic adaptability of new varieties, and that would also extend harvest times,” explains the Chilean Secretary of State.
“The Chileans have been losing competitiveness compared to Peru because it is a large country that has a very good climate and has developed a large water infrastructure, carrying water from the mountains to the valleys through hydric roads. It is a country that is investing heavily in ports. “They have invested a lot in Peru’s image; they have made public-private alliances for road and water infrastructure; and they are closer to international markets with lower freight costs, which clearly makes them a competitive country,” warns the president of the National Agricultural Society, Antonio Walker.
The three-star products
All these conditions have led Peru to surpass Chile in three products in just a few years: blueberries, table grapes, and avocados.
The case of blueberries is probably the most impressive.
In 2004, Chile passed to Canada, becoming the world’s leading exporter. Peru timidly began to introduce the first strains with different genetics that allowed them to have this fruit in a climate where it traditionally did not grow. In 2013, Peru entered the ranking of the top 10 world exports, which was dominated, by far, by Chile, with $440 million per year in shipments.
