The current prospect is for the harvest to become more intense in August, although the results will remain the same: an increase in production and a less demanding market. "Peruvian ginger has a quality, texture and flavour superior to the cheap ginger from China. There is no comparison; for this reason, we have customers in all countries. In any case, this campaign is being marked by growth in air shipments, as so far more than 50% of exports have been exported this way. But this has no influence on the reduction of demand and the fall in prices, down by at least 10%," affirms the representative.
"I have no doubt that, in such circumstances, by 2017 Peru will have reduced its ginger production. Growers will see that this overproduction does not give them the expected returns. The only strategy we can resort to is the implementation of certifications. In our case, we have the Global GAP and are in the process of obtaining the GLOBAL GRASP, making us the first ginger exporter in Peru that meets these export standards required by supermarkets. Furthermore, we are expanding with alternative crops, such as turmeric, a tuber of the same family as ginger," adds Medrano.
Given these trends, it is expected that many producers will replace a part of the ginger production with turmeric. This tuber is mainly used for its medicinal properties, as well as a condiment, for food flavouring and as colouring in cosmetics. "The tuber has a growing market in Europe and Canada, so it is the next alternative. In a way, we can say that the market is changing its preferences and going for this new root. We, as producers, see turmeric as a market to explore, unlike the case of ginger, where we are already reaching the ceiling," concludes the spokesperson.
