Peruvian blues exports to China could top US$10m
Peru’s foreign trade office in Shanghai says blueberry export to China could reach US$10m in 2017, the first full year of market access since the signing of the import protocol in November.
The announcement came as the first seafreighted shipment of Peruvian blueberries went on sale at Jiangnan wholesale market in Guangzho last week.
The 8.5-tonne consignment was produced by Tal SA, Camposol and Danper in the La Libertad region, according to plant health authority Senasa.
It follows the first airfreighted consignment of Peruvian blueberries landed in Shanghai no 12 February.
The blueberry industry is still relatively young in Peru, but output is rising rapidly. There are around 2,663ha under production in La Libertad alone, with output in the region expected to increase by 40 per cent by next year.
Total blueberry exports for Peru are expected to total 32,000 tonnes this season. According to the agriculture ministry, exports in 2016 were valued at US$232.9m.
The US was the biggest market (US$130.7m), followed by the Netherlands (US$52.7m), the UK (US$29.6m), and Canada (US$4.9m).
