Living in Peru : your everyday companion

The Peruvian tangerine, acid yet sweeter than the orange, is very appreciated in Europe and thus, it becomes an exportable product with great potential.

First: Of all the major tangerine buyers in the world (France, Germany and the UK), we only sell it to the UK. Besides exporting our tangerines to the Netherlands, Canada and Ireland, we could sell it also to the other two major buyers. Moreover, just recently our credentials have been accepted in the U.S.

Second: Despite the fact that the tangerine is the most exported citrus product from Peru - it concentrates 98% of all sales of oranges, tangelos, lemons and tangerines - this sale to overseas market only absorbs about 9% of our national production total. The world’s tangerine production surpasses the 20% of total citrus production and 30% of its exports.

In Peru, tangerines reach 25% of all citrus production. Our country has a privileged seasonality for the harvest, which lasts from February to November. This allows us to take advantage of a significant window of opportunity in sales to the U.S. (where local tangerines are not available between August and October) and Europe (top tangerine exporter Spain does is not ready for sales between May and August).

The growth of Peruvian tangerine exports is mainly explained by unified efforts of national producers. 80% of all Peruvian tangerine exports are concentrated by two firms: the “Consorcio de Productores de Frutas S.A.” and the “Procesadora Larán SAC”. And this is mainly because the requirements tangerines have to fulfill in order to be exported aren’t very simple to comply with: cooling treatment to control the fruit fly plague; little agrochemical waste within permitted limits; to comply with the characteristics of size and color; correct hydration; packaging with allowed materials only and the fulfillment of guidelines defined by the Bioterrorism Act. Besides, it is recommendable to apply good agricultural practices in order to reduce microbiological risks.

With all this in mind, the industrialization of tangerine crops should be fostered including the installment of production lines and commercialization chains, since these are also powerful tools for sustainable development. Despite the fact that the biggest production is located in Lima and Ica, nearly a third of harvested tangerines originate in the Peruvian regions of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huanuco, Junin, Pasco, San Martin and Ucayali – all of them areas where coca is produced as well - and for that reason its impulse and export development can become a viable alternative for economic growth in these areas.