The first shipment of Peruvian green asparagus to China was made late last month by Danper. "We have shipped approximately 300 kilos, as a test, and the results have been excellent; the asparagus were sold out within a week, thus exceeding our expectations. The second shipment, similar to the first, has only just arrived, in time to replenish the stocks and make sure the product remains available for the consumers," explains Jorge Arangurí, director of Danper.
Although the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the export of fresh asparagus from Peru to China was signed more than three years ago, the Chinese authorities had been making a series of inspections in Peru that lasted throughout this period before it become fully regularised. "We have over 6 years' experience in the Asian market. Japan has been a school for us, because it is a very demanding market and the Chinese authorities have taken the Japanese requirements as reference. Danper started its activities in 1994, first with canned asparagus and, for 12 years, with fresh asparagus for the international market, so we have experience in handling such inspections," affirms Arangurí.
"We expect shipments to depart on a weekly basis, with 3 to 4 pallets exported by air. Green asparagus are very difficult to transport by ship over such long distances, because so far we have not been able to develop a technology able to ensure that the asparagus will arrive in good condition. We are pioneers in South America with these exports, and as soon as we are able, we'll start exporting larger volumes," concludes the representative of the Peruvian company.
