Demand from Russia pushed citrus shipments up by 160% for one of Peru's leading exporters, the company's manager told  El Comercio, a Peruvian newspaper.

Despite the distance and various payment problems, the Russian market has been a revelation, Marcus de Monzarz, manager at exporter Romero Torre Blanca, told the newspaper. The U.S. and Canada continue to be the main markets for the company's shipments, he said.

For fruit exports in general, it has been a good year because prices have been higher, despite the economic crisis, Monzarz told the newspaper.

With avocados, especially, he said he earned  6 euros (U.S. $8.30) per 4-kilogram carton, while at the worst point in the crisis, he received 4 euros (U.S. $5.53) per carton.

However, the exchange rate problem has not permitted better profits. And next year, the company plans to ramp up exports to the U.S., according to the newspaper.

In general, the market has responded well, making small habit changes such as preferring more units per kilogram, Monzarz told the newspaper.

The company has a network of 16 growers who prefer not to export directly, according to the newspaper. Together, they have 1,600 hectares of citrus and avocado.

This year, the company expects to process 4,500 containers of citrus, 400 containers of avocado and 1.2 million cartons of asparagus.

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com