GEN Close up of red cherries

Cherries are set to become Peru’s newest export crop thanks to government efforts to promote their cultivation in Andean zones.

Senasa announced that it had recently concluded a pest risk analysis and approved regulations paving the way for the introduction of more commercial rootstocks and stimulate local production.

A year ago, trade promotion agency Sierra Exportadora established a trial orchard in Huarochirí with different varieties grafted onto rootstocks adapted to local conditions and the results are being monitored closely.

The agency said that at US$8,000-US$10,000 per hectare, the costs of investing in cherry production are far lower than those for blueberries, while returns were similar for both crops, yielding around US$120,000 by the fifth year of production.

Peru’s production window falls ahead of Chile, which currently supplies around 90 per cent of Southern Hemisphere cherries.