Peru’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Juan Manuel Benites Ramos noted the expansion of Peruvian agriculture, which supplies domestic and international markets with news products, reduced rural poverty over the last five years.
“We have to give a special recognition to our agro entrepreneurs, because their work ensures proper food safety and product diversity, and contributes to preserve the world’s mega biodiversity, something that makes Peruvians feel proud,” he was quoted as saying by El Peruano official gazette.
Despite turbulence in the world economy, that affects other sectors such as mining, agriculture remained strong enough to expand 3.2% annually on average in the 2011-2015 period, within which agro-exports stood out.
“Rural poverty has fallen 17%, irrigation gap has closed 20% —as part of this administration— and exports have totaled US$5 billion and are likely to fetch US$6 billion by the end of the year. Likewise, agro-exports have grown 16% on average over the past years,” the minister said as he outlined the results of the last five-year administration.
Trade
Peru agro-products have gained entrance into more than 40 international markets; the most popular ones are citrus fruits, capsicums or ajies, and quinoa —already shipped to India— and avocados, which catch on in the Chinese and Japanese marketplaces.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Peru is one the ten largest suppliers of food in the world, and topped the lists of asparagus, quinoa and maca global suppliers until 2014.
Also, Peru is the third largest exporter of avocados and artichokes, and the fourth biggest supplier of dried peppers.
(END) MDV/RMB/MVB
Published: 6/24/2016