Despite the El Niño weather phenomenon affecting agricultural production in many parts of Latin America, Peru's asparagus season is reported to be continuing as normal. 

Website Agraria.pe reported a representative from Procesos Agroindustriales (ProAgro) said Peru had so far exported 17.75 million 5-kilogram-equivalent boxes of the vegetable.

The figure represents 95% of volumes shipped by this time last year.

"So despite the fact that we've had slightly increased temperatures due to the presence of El Niño, it seems that production hasn't really been affected," Andrés Jochamowitz was quoted as saying.

"The increase in temperatures has a greater effect on fruit than on vegetables, and so far there have been no significant effects on our produce as a consequence of the El Niño phenomenon."

He said that as one of the largest asparagus exporters in the world, Peru sends the majority of its shipments to the U.S.

ProAgro itself ships around 52% of volumes to the U.S., with a further 41% going to Europe.

Because of this, the representative said the recently agreed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would not have a substantial effect on the company's asparagus trade. But he added that it would of course open new markets.

"I don't see an immediate effect from the deal, but it will open new opportunities in other countries with which there are no trade deals at the moment, and we will undoubtedly be able to diversify commercial supply in the future," he said.

He added Asia was potentially a very good market for Peruvian asparagus, but he said there was not enough capacity on airliners to get sufficient volumes to destination markets.

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