Peruvian grape exports are expected to rise again in 2020-21, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The annual report on Peru’s deciduous fruit from the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said the country’s grape exports grew in 2019-20, despite the economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For 2020-21, Peruvian grape exports are forecast at 412,000 metric tons, up 2.5% from the year earlier.
The U.S. is the top market for Peruvian grapes, accounting for 38% of Peruvian grape exports in calendar year 2019, the report said. After the U.S. (38%), the big customers for Peruvian grape exports are the Netherlands (15%) and Hong Kong (10%).
Favorable outlook
Peruvian grape production is forecast to reach 665,000 metric tons in marketing year (October 2020 to September 2021), a 2% increase over the previous year. “Favorable weather conditions, plenty of water supply, and growing demand are driving this increase,” the report said.
Long days of sunlight and dry conditions make Peru an ideal grape-growing region, according to the report, and allows Peruvian growers to mature vines 55% faster than in neighboring countries.
With about 78,000 acres of table grapes in total, the USDA said Peru’s output is mainly located in Ica (41%) and Piura (22%). Grape harvest begins in late October and ends in April. While the report said the red globe variety dominates production and is popular in the Chinese market, the report said Peruvian growers are shifting toward higher value varieties to supply other markets. Peruvian grape exports to the U.S. typically peak between December and January due to seasonally higher prices, the USDA report said.
The cost of growing grapes in Peru is second only to blueberries and requires an initial investment of about $43,000 per hectare, apart from land costs, according to the report.
