limes

Three Peruvian fresh fruit items have penetrated new international markets, including the US, Chile, Costa Rica and China as a result of the elimination of phytosanitary barriers, according to Peru’s National Service of Agrarian Health (Senasa).

Tahiti limes have became a most favoured product in the US and Chile after US authorities increased the temperature level requirements from zero to 8oC for imports of the fruit, Senasa chief Oscar Dominguez told Andina news agency.

Peru has also achieved favoured product status for fresh bananas to Costa Rica and fresh citrus to China, including orange, tangerines, Tahiti limes and key limes, Senasa said.

Meanwhile, Peru’s fresh produce business continues to weather the financial crisis, with exports of non-traditional fruits registering a 53 per cent increase in value to US$330m between January and October this year, according to the Peruvian Exporters Association (Adex).

Volumes included fresh and dried avocados, fresh and dried mangoes and mangosteens, fresh table grapes and fresh bananas.

Some 70 per cent of shipments (worth US$98.7m) were destined for the Netherlands, Adex said, followed by the US (which received US$75.6m-worth of fruits), Spain the UK, Hong Kong, Canada, France, Mexico, China, Germany, Japan, Belgium and Russia among others.