Peruvian agricultural news agency reported that the neighboring country is seeking to become one of the largest export crops of cherries.
HChilean cherries have been under the scrutiny of the National Agrarian Health Service (Senasa) and the Association of Agricultural Producers of Peru (Agap) for some time now; they are working to find the areas with the best conditions for growing cherries and competing directly with Chile, as indicated by Miguel Quevedo, head of Senasa, in the note published by the news agency Agrarria.pe: “Once we find them, we will surpass Chile”.
Currently, it is managing the entry into new markets of more than 60 Peruvian products, including cherries.
“It is within the 60, but we do not see it as a viable condition to be able to open this year, although if it happens at a good time,” mentioned Miguel Quevedo, Head of Senasa.
He added that Peruvian cherries have the same potential as our country, but that they are still looking for the most suitable areas to develop the crop: “The Association of Agricultural Producers of Peru (Agap), through its members, is testing in various parts of the country the best conditions for developing this crop. Once we find it, we will undoubtedly surpass Chile.”
They hope that something similar will happen with cherries as happened with blueberry production, which was developed on the coast and in the mountains, so that it could become a leading export crop. However, there are limitations, the most relevant being the accumulation of cold hours that cherry varieties require in order to achieve productive potential, a requirement that is met in our country due to the geographical and agroclimatic conditions.
Gabriel Amaro, executive director of Agap, said that they are working with Senasa to be able to export cherries: “We have asked to open markets to the United States, Europe, China and the United Kingdom.”“It is a whole process that does not necessarily take six months or a year. We need to speed up the steps with the authorities and with a lot of support from the Foreign Ministry in the country where we want to open, as well as from the Commercial Offices,” he concluded.
