According to the guilds and associations of farmers consulted for this note, the growth for 2020 would also be positive and similar to the previous year; however, they notice new challenges in the main markets.

Booming fruits

It would be crops such as blueberries, grapes and avocado that will continue to enhance the growth of the agricultural subsector. In the case of berry, it is projected that for the campaign that culminates next July, the 110 thousand tons sent will be achieved, which would position Peru as the main exporter of fresh blueberries in the world, according to Roberto Vargas, president of Proarándanos.

In the case of grapes, the campaign would end at the end of February with 50 million boxes exported, representing a growth of 40%, which would also achieve the record of US $ 1.000 billion, said Carlos Zamorano, general manager of ProVid

In contrast, two other crops that weigh in agricultural GDP, such as coffee and cocoa, face problems. According to National Coffee Board, 2020 will not be a good year for the aromatic grain due to the fall of the international price by almost 30% in the last part of 2019, so that production would also fall by almost 15%, as discouragement has reached the coffee growers who opt for reconversion, and others, for the production of coca leaf again.

The outlook would be similar for cocoa that last year saw its production decrease by 40% after the new phytosanitary measures imposed by the European market. And it is that countries like France and Belgium, among others, have requested to reduce the level of cadmium in the grain, but in the absence of fertilizer control, producers continue to use these inputs, says Elías Cruz, president of the Association of Producers of Cocoa-APPCacao.

New regulations

“Not only Europe, but also Asia, are adjusting phytosanitary issues for the entry of agricultural products,” says Zamorano of ProVid. This panorama would not only affect large companies, but mainly cooperatives and associations of small producers, who seek to generate greater income by taking their products abroad.

Along these lines, Proarándanos points out that they are not looking for further extensions of their cultivation for the next campaign, as there are no new insured markets and, also, to avoid an overproduction that will lower the price of the berrie, which in 2019 was reduced by almost 10%

Small and large producers have requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation to strengthen two key institutions for the assurance of family and agro-export agriculture: National Institute of Agrarian Innovation(INIA), in charge of seed quality and technology, and the National Agricultural Health Service (Senasa), which ensures quality control and crop health.

family agriculture

For this year, the budget of the agricultural sector will increase by 11% compared to 2019, totaling S / 177 million. From the Government, it was indicated that the resources will be prioritized to strengthen programs such as the AgroPerú Fund and Sierra Azul to benefit small producers, within the framework of the recently approved National Family Farming Plan, where, among others, investments are proposed for more than S / 10.707 million by 2021.

But INIA has also been strengthened, with a budget of S / 29 million, which will be used to increase the number of experimental agricultural stations to 24 where producers can go to advise on their crops.

Likewise, as of this year, the fruit and vegetable financing program will be activated, which will improve research in lucuma, custard apple, among others.

The numbers

- 10 new varieties of seeds will be released this year.

- 3,16% was the growth of the agricultural sector until November.

New crop varieties

- In conversation with La República, the engineer Jorge Maicelo Quintana, head of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA), announced that this year will be released in favor of small producers up to 10 new varieties of seeds from different crops, the largest number of bioinvestigation

- Among them, there are seeds of a new variety of quinoa, kiwicha, oats, beans, corn and beans.

- The release of new patterns of camu camu and cocoa for genetic improvement and better performance.