Peruvian customs figures show citrus export values rose 20.6% year-on-year between January and August 2011, website Agraria.pe reported.

Market consultant Agrodata found the highest growth in export values was seen for lemons, rising 54% year-on-year to US$994,000, with the majority of shipments going to Chile (79%), followed by Panama (8%) and the U.S. (5%).

Mandarins continue to be Peru's most significant citrus export fruit with a 19% year-on-year rise during the period to US$37 million, following a 13% price rise to US$1.06/kg.

England was the largest buyer of Peruvian mandarins with 34% of the total, followed by Canada (21%) and the Netherlands (18%). Peruvian company Consorcio de Productores de Fruta SAC accounted for 48% of the easy peeler shipments, while Procesadora Larán exported 20% and Agrícola Las Marías shipped 8%.

Oranges represented the second-largest citrus export for the period, but shipment values were down 6% year-on-year to US$2.8 million, with England (24%), the Netherlands (20%) and the U.S. (12%) as the biggest buyers, the story reported.

High growth was also seen for tangelos - otherwise known as 'honeybells' - rising 27% to US$2.8 million on the back of a 10% price increase to US$0.80/kg.

The Netherlands was the largest export destination for the fruit representing 36% of total shipments, followed by the U.S. (28%) and England (15%), the story reported.

Photo: Agraria

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