Last week, Peru's Minister of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, Angel Manero, confirmed that the country is preparing to export frozen fruit to the Asian market. Avocados, blueberries, and mangos will lead the Peruvian frozen offerings, which are set to debut in food services, hotels, and supermarkets.

FreshFruitPortal.com spoke to Dominus Commercial Chief Johanna Mateo, who said climate phenomena such as El Niño considerably hindered fresh fruit export volumes last year.

Due to their significantly longer shelf life, frozen fruits saw an upward trend during the pandemic, which has expanded the market, according to Mateo.

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Mango

Mateo explained that Peruvian frozen mango sales have increased almost 15% to 20% annually. However, last season’s weather woes caused a dip in shipments. According to Mateo, this inevitably increased costs for the frozen sector.

“The Peruvian Association of Mango Producers and Exporters has not released volume projections for the new season, but from what is seen in the fields, in the flowering of the fruit, it is projected that there will be a good season in terms of volume," she added.

The Peruvian mango industry expects harvests to begin earlier than usual this year, in October. 

She indicated that the flavor of Peruvian mangoes has the particularity of having a great balance between sweet and sour, making it a very appealing and preferred product among consumers in the European Union, the United States, and even Asia.

When asked about prices, she pointed out that they have been very high: "We had an average price of approximately $2.90 last season. However, for this new season, which starts in October-November, we are going to have a higher volume, and we hope that this will regulate the conventional market prices".

The main destinations for Peruvian frozen mango are the United States and Europe.

Berries

Peruvian frozen berry offerings include strawberries and blueberries. Similarly to the mango season, the upcoming campaigns are projected to see a much larger volume as the sector recovers from El Niño.

"At Dominus, we are very optimistic about being able to secure greater volumes, to continue increasing our product portfolio and, of course, also increasing sales this year," Mateo said.

She specified that 15% to 20% of the blueberries produced in the country go to the frozen industry. Europe is the main destination market for Peruvian frozen blueberries.

As for frozen strawberries, Mateo said that 2024 is the product’s third year in international markets.

"We export mostly to the United States, almost 95% of our production is for the American market. For this strawberry season we project a steady growth, with greater availability of this fruit in the field," she said.

As for prices, Mateo assured that they will be aligned with the market, "since the United States has had a very strong strawberry season, we have to try to adapt to the average prices requested by the market".

Avocado

Frozen avocado is not a new product at Dominus, as Johanna Mateo explained, the company has been processing avocado for several years. But El Niño also affected this popular crop’s volumes.

"We have approximately 35% to 40% less volume year-on-year and the entire fresh avocado industry is taking advantage of this fruit to be able to use it," she said.

The drop in avocado volume has not been the only problem. The fruit has also presented quality and size problems.

Regarding destination markets, Mateo pointed out that practically 60% of their frozen avocado production goes to Japan.

She added that they offer three formats: cubes, slices, and halves, primarily for the Food Service and Horeca markets in Europe, the United States, Asia, and Oceania.

Mateo concluded by saying that "we ensure that when you consume a frozen avocado, it is almost similar to a fresh avocado. We try to make our production as natural as possible. That is why we have grown so much in the Asian market in recent years, because we offer a natural product".