Asparagus exporters from Peru have many reasons to point to for exports being down last year.
Peruvian asparagus exports in all its presentations (fresh, preserved, and frozen) totaled 158.3 million kilograms worth $488.6 million in 2020, reflecting a drop of 8.8 percent in volume and 8.4 percent in value when compared to the 173.8 million kilograms for $533.3 million reached in 2019, as reported by Agraria.
Carlos Zamorano, the director of the Peruvian Asparagus and Vegetable Institute (IPEH), said asparagus exports in 2020 were headed up by fresh asparagus amounting to 119 million kilograms worth $359.8 million in comparison to the 131.7 million kilograms worth $393.7 million exported the previous year, reflecting a decrease of 9.6 percent in volume and 8.6 percent in value.
Peruvian asparagus exports fell by more than 8% in volume and value in 2020
The balance in 2020 wasn t positive for Peruvian asparagus. According to the Executive Director of the Peruvian Asparagus and Vegetable Institute (IPEH), Carlos Zamorano Macchiavello, exports of this vegetable decreased by 8.8% in volume and 8.4% in value, totaling 158,317,000 kilos and $488,618,000.
In 2020, exports were led by shipments of fresh asparagus with 119,022,000 kilos of fresh asparagus (-9.63% over 2019) for 359,800,000 dollars (-8.61%). They were followed by canned asparagus, with 31,419,000 kilos (-2.18%) for 94,296,000 dollars (-3.17%), and frozen asparagus, with 7,800,000 kilos (-22.77%) for 34,400,000 dollars (-18.37%); the presentation that registered the greatest contraction.
According to Zamorano, the problems that asparagus faced in 2020 were circumstantial and due to COVID-19. The pandemic prevented carrying out commercial negotiations, generated restrictions in the field, caused the