El Niño Wrecks Peru's Fruit Crops, Agricultural Exports

News in brief: The El Niño phenomenon is severely impacting Peru agriculture and exports, with significant losses in mango and lemon crops, as well as the threat of drought in the Southern region. It has led to a decline in agricultural exports, particularly grapes, blueberries, and avocados, posing economic challenges for Peru's agricultural sector.

The El Niño phenomenon has had a devastating impact on Peruvian agriculture and agro-exports, a news report finds. It says that about 90% of the mango and lemon trees in Piura have lost their blossoms due to the weather.

Meanwhile, other fruits like grapes, blueberries, and bananas, are also affected, though to a lesser extent, with analysts saying that up to 100,000 jobs could be at risk.

Also, Peru's Southern region is facing threat of droughts and in Arequipa, the country's second most populated city, 40% of agricultural production is at risk due to the lack of water in the regulated basins.

Peruvian agriculture exports fell by 3% between January and July of this year, and by 9% in July alone, the report finds. Generally, this trend is expected to continue, with grapes, blueberries, and avocados being the most likely affected products in the second half of the year and their importance to Peru's agro-export basket.

In 2017, when the Peruvian north was devastated by El Niño, Piura, a city with semi-desert climate, recorded losses that amounted to S/ 10 billion ($2.6 billion), an amount equivalent to half of its annual production.

Peru is a major exporter of agricultural products, and its agricultural sector plays an important role in its economy. The agricultural exports are shipped to markets all over the world, including the United States, Europe, and Asia.

In 2022, Peru's agricultural exports were valued at $10.8 billion, with its top five agricultural export products being grapes, blueberries, avocados, asparagus, and mangos.

The country's agricultural sector is facing a number of challenges, including climate change, water scarcity, and pests and diseases. However, it is also benefiting from government support and investment. The Peruvian government has made agriculture a priority, and is investing in research and development, infrastructure, and market access.