The Peruvian jungle is known for its great agricultural diversity, as its tropical climate makes it perfectly suitable for the cultivation of different types of fruit. Based on this, the company Agroexport Ucayali took the initiative last year to undertake a new project in order to boost the export of fruits from the Peruvian department of Ucayali, province in the central part of eastern Peru, which is irrigated by the river of the same name.
"We have a warm tropical humid climate and temperatures usually remain around 30 °C, allowing us to cultivate all year round. Although unusual rains with winds have been recorded in recent weeks, our plantations have not been affected in any way. We are currently focusing on the production of pineapples (Cayenne and Golden) and green bananas. These plantations are more than 3 metres high, so they are very resistant to climate changes, which gives us an advantage compared to competing countries, such as Costa Rica," continues Cruz.
It is worth stressing that the diversity and complexity of the Ucayali agroecological system allows crops along the Amazonian rivers to reach high yields. In Peru, this specific feature has been the main argument for various proposals that suggest the concentration of agriculture on the Amazon's banks, with the lack of knowledge about the economic viability of agriculture being the main obstacle to its growth. "Fruits grow really well in this area thanks to the climate; there is plenty of irrigation and natural fertilization and there is no need for insecticides, because the fruit is washed naturally by the constant rains, which makes our products semiorganic. In our 350 hectares, we currently produce more than 50 tonnes of green bananas, 70 tonnes of Cayenne pineapples and 45 tonnes of Golden pineapples per month," pointed out Elizabeth Cruz, representative of the Peruvian company.
"We are ready to start exporting. We have the production capacity and all logistical issues have been dealt with, from customs to refrigeration during transport and health and export records. The success of this project will result in increased demand for labour, which will create jobs in the area. Our goal and our vision is to ensure sustainable work. Now we only need to establish partnerships with customers to start the process and begin marketing abroad," concluded the spokesperson of Agroexport Ucayali.
