Peru has become the world's third-largest
of fresh grapes thanks to the significant increase these shipments experienced in 2018, the Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry (Mincetur) has informed.
Deputy Foreign Trade Minister Sayuri Bayona indicated the Inca country's grape shipments totaled US$819 million (+26%) last year, thus surpassing those sent to Italy (US$779 million) and China (US$690 million).
According to the official, said fruit's exported volume increased 27%, rising from 270,000 tons in 2017 to 343,000 tons in 2018.
"The efforts undertaken by our exporters, added to the intense promotional campaign for our fruit basket in the world, have enabled us to achieve an unprecedented position," the official explained.
To date, Chile and the United States remain as the world's top and second-
largest exporters of fresh grapes, as their shipments amount to US$1.074 billion and US$926 million, respectively.
"If this positive trend continues, Peru might reach and exceed those levels in the next years," she added.
Target markets
In this sense, the main destinations are the United States, the European Union (EU), and China.
Likewise, Mincetur noted the significant increase in
exports of this fruit to the EU (+84%), underpinned by greater shipments to Germany (+461%) and Italy (+188%).
Furthermore, Ica and Piura are the main
exporting regions. In 2018, Ica's grape
exports totaled US$369 million (+8%), while Piura's amounted to US$325 million (+50%).
(END) CNA/DTK/MVB