Peru’s table grape industry posted a 9% year-on-year growth for the first two quarters of 2023, with the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI) anticipating that Peru will remain the world’s leading grape exporter.
As for the recent climatic woes experienced by the sector, MIDAGRI reported that in the event of a weak El Niño phenomenon, production will likely remain stable and even increase compared to the previous year, because the first six months of 2023 brought a production surplus of 10%.
However, if El Niño brings moderate or extraordinary weather, production in late 2023 and early 2024 could be affected by pests, which proliferate with excess moisture.
The U.S. received 47% of Peru’s overall shipments in 2022. It is expected to remain the top export destination for Peruvian grapes.
In April, Peru officially overtook Chile as South America’s top grape exporter by 40,000 tons, a 7% volume difference, dropping the former leading exporter into second place.
Since then, the Peruvian sector has continued to show exponential growth. Exports to the U.S. have shown a growing trend in recent years, with the value of shipments reported in 2022 representing nine times the value exported in 2012, when shipments first began.
