In terms of volume, Peru exported 5,525,843 kilos of canned artichokes in the period between January and March this year, 21.42% less than the 7,031,325 kilos shipped in the same period last year.
In the first quarter of this year, the main target market for canned artichokes was the United States, with shipments that totalled $9.3 million dollars, i.e. 65% of all shipments of canned artichokes.
Other dynamic markets were Spain, with shipments worth US $1.9 million (13% of the total), France with $1.2 million (8.2%), Germany 4%, Netherlands 3.6%, Brazil 1.9%, Canada 1.5%, and other markets 2.6%.
During the period under review, the main exporters of canned artichokes were: Sociedad Agricola Viru with $3.5 million dollars (24% of the total), followed by Camposol with $3.1 million (22%), Danper Trujillo with $2.6 million (18%), Alsur Peru with 17%, Danper Arequipa with 11%, Agro Mantaro with 3%, Cynara Peru with 1%, and other companies with 4%.
The drop in exports is a market issue
Agraria.pe spoke with the executive director of the Peruvian Institute of Asparagus and Vegetables (IPEH), Carlos Zamorano Macchiavello, who said this decrease was mainly due to a market issue.
"There are more suppliers in the business, so there are more artichokes in the world, but Peru has had a lower offer," he said.
He said Peru has had a lower offer since late 2014. "In December 2013, Peru had exported $15 million dollars in canned artichokes and in December 2014 shipments totalled $9 million dollars."
In this regard, he said, since the artichoke is an annual crop it allows producers to measure their offer, that is, if they see that the campaign is low they plant less for the next season. That's why some areas have stopped growing it.
"These are the ups and downs of the business. This is an annual crop and there are people who stop planting it when there is a lot of supply in the market and then they come back again when the supply is low. It purely a market issue," he said.
