Archive For The “News” Category
Peru is predicted to surpass Chile as the region’s leading fruit exporter in 2025, which would be a significant shift in South American trade dynamics.
The General Directorate of Agricultural Policies under Peru’s Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri), reports Peru’s fruit export value is expected to reach $10.194 billion, slightly outpacing Chile’s forecast of $9.979 billion.
This milestone reflects more than a decade of rapid growth in Peru’s agricultural industry. From 2012 to 2022, Peruvian agricultural exports grew at an impressive average annual rate of 11%, almost double the 6.1% rate recorded by Chile. The 2024 figures already show the narrowing gap, with Peru’s exports totaling $9.185 billion—just short of Chile’s $9.403 billion.
The surge in Peru’s agricultural trade is primarily attributed to its booming fruit exports, which have grown at an average annual rate of 19.6% between 2010 and 2024. In contrast, Chile’s fruit export growth in the same period was 6.8%. Should this trend continue, Peru’s fruit export revenues are projected to reach $11.064 billion by 2027, placing it well ahead of Chile by approximately 9%.
Peru’s fruit export success has been driven by high-demand products such as blueberries and avocados, which have far outpaced Chilean exports in these categories. While Chile still leads slightly in table grapes, favorable weather conditions and improved cultivation practices could see Peru claim the global top spot in grape exports in 2025.
Globally, Peru is set to become the fifth-largest fruit exporter in 2025, overtaking Chile and trailing behind Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico and the US. Within Latin America, this transition marks a significant realignment, with Mexico, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Costa Rica being the primary exporters. Peru’s rise to regional leadership signifies its strengthening role on the global fruit trade map.
Colombia’s exports to the United States increased from 5 percent to 15 percent, with several produce items showing increases during the first quarter of 2025.
This growth triples the 5 percent increase recorded by the country’s total exports to the rest of the world, according to Redagricola, using figures from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE).
A highlight of the report is the boost in non-mining and energy exports, which reached $2.413 billion, representing a 25 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Among the products that registered the greatest sales increases were unroasted coffee, with a 124 percent increase. Banana sales grew by 51 percent, while Hass avocados increased by over 300 percent. There were also increases in flowers, citrus fruits, and cocoa.
By region, Antioquia was the main exporter with more than $686 million, followed by Bogotá and Cundinamarca. Furthermore, regions such as Meta, Caldas, Casanare, and Cauca registered growth exceeding 100 percent, demonstrating positive momentum in non-traditional regions. In total, 23 of the 28 exporting departments surpassed $1 million in sales to the U.S.
In response, the president of the Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Colombia), María Claudia Lacouture, highlighted the importance of seizing opportunities with the U.S.
“The impact of seizing opportunities with the U.S. is undeniable. The numbers speak for themselves,” she said.
Lacouture also asserted that these results make it clear that strengthening relations with the U.S. is a priority.
“We need to keep diplomatic channels open and work on common interests. Opportunities exist, and we must seize them,” Lacouture said.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced a lot of change on Americans when it came to food. Restaurants were closed. We had to wonder if we needed to disinfect our groceries for a while. That obsession with making sourdough started up.
But apparently people started eating more fresh fruit and vegetables too.
The USDA Economic Research Service released a report on the impacts of COVID-19 on food spending and diet on May 20. The report found that — as is common with negative economic events — the pandemic shifted American’s food purchasing behavior.
The report — U.S. Household Food Spending Post COVID-19 and the Implications for Diet Quality by ERS research agricultural economists Abigail Okrent and Eliana Zeballos — compared changes in household food spending in different groups before, during and after the pandemic (2016 to 2022).
“Economic recessions and slowdowns have profoundly influenced spending patterns on food as consumers navigate tighter budgets and uncertainty,” according to the report. “These changes in food consumption behaviors can have enduring effects on health, persisting long after a recession ends.”
Pandemic food purchasing
The economic shocks of the pandemic were unique compared to previous economic shocks in a few ways, according to the report. The main one was the closure of restaurants and stay-at-home orders around the country.
“This prompted significant shifts in the ways people purchased and acquired food, such as increased online shopping and home cooking,” the report said. More consumers bought food at grocery stores — referred to as food at home (FAH) in the report — during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic years of 2016 to 2019.
Buying more food at grocery stores compared to restaurants and other “food away from home” venues changed how consumers spent money on different food categories.
“On the one hand, 2020 had little to no association with spending on dairy, fats and oils, poultry, eggs, fish and seafood, beverages, and desserts,” the report summarized. “On the other hand, spending during 2020 was higher than 2016 to 2019 levels for vegetables (7%), other FAH not elsewhere classified (7%), grains (6%), and prepared meals (6%).”
Some of these shifts continued into the pandemic in 2021, with vegetable spending up 8% and fruit spending up 7% compared to the 2016 to 2019 levels. In 2022, which the report used as a post-pandemic benchmark, spending behavior began to trend back toward pre-pandemic levels with some exceptions. This included spending on vegetables, which was still up 5% in 2022 compared to 2016 to 2019 levels.
The report authors highlighted this trend as potentially beneficial.
“Given that vegetable and fruit consumption has largely been flat over the past few decades and well below [Dietary Guidelines for Americans] recommendations overall, such a shift in spending could lead to better adherence to DGA recommendations.”
Fruit and vegetable buying trends overall
The report also found some key differences in food spending across different demographic groups regardless of year. For example, the report found that urban households spend more on fruit and vegetables compared to their rural counterparts. Similarly, West Coast households spend the most on fruit and vegetables overall out of the U.S. geographic regions.
Racial and ethnic demographic details also played a role in food spending behaviors, regardless of the year.
“Independent of income and other covariates, non-Hispanic Asian households spent more on fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish and seafood, and eggs, and less on processed red meats and beverages than non-Hispanic White, Black, and Native American/Pacific Islander/multiracial households,” the report found.
The report also noted that there were some seasonality trends in food purchasing at grocery stores — but not at restaurants — that was seen across all years in review.
“In particular, spending on fruits tended to be higher in the spring ($20 more per capita) and summer months ($20) compared to fall (-$6) and winter months (base), whereas vegetable consumption was unaffected by the seasons.”
The report authors speculated that the seasonality in fruit consumption, even in the face of expanded trade that means fresh fruit is reliably available year round, “may indicate consumers prefer to eat seasonal fruit produced within the United States.”
Enstructure, the operator of Port Wilmington in Delaware, announced it has signed a long-term agreement with Chiquita Brands to continue and further expand its partnership as the company’s mid-Atlantic distribution hub.
In a press release, Enstructure said the agreement builds upon an existing partnership built in 1988 between Chiquita and the Port of Wilmington, which positioned the port as the brand’s mid-Atlantic supply chain operation. Since then, Port of Wilmington has become the brand’s largest port operation in North America.
The Port is operated by Enstructure under a long-term concession agreement as part of a public-private partnership at Port Wilmington with the owner, Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC), a State of Delaware entity.
“This agreement marks a significant milestone for Enstructure, the State of Delaware, and DSPC,” said Enstructure Co-CEOs Matthew Satnick and Philippe De Montigny. “We are reinforcing our commitment to the perishable fruit industry, investing in the port’s customers and infrastructure, and increasing job opportunities for our workforce, all while enhancing the quality of service we provide to long-standing partners like Chiquita.”
Pacific Trellis Fruit Company, owner of the Dulcinea Brand, entered a long-term joint venture agreement with Desert Ghost, a Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, farming entity owned by the Carrillo family of Caborca.
Luis Carrillo also owns UVEX, a large table grape operation located in Caborca. Several years ago, Desert Ghost acquired a ranch in Hermosillo known as Campo La Colorada. Desert Ghost invested significant capital in developing the land by installing irrigation systems, building cold storage and packing house facilities, offices and a state-of-the-art pack line for all table grape pack styles, including all types of clam shells, according to a news release.
The focus in this ranch has always been on new proprietary varieties that can supply the best quality fruit in the early part of the season. New plantings of flames, Ivory, Krissy, Midnight Beauty, Ruby Rush and Autumncrisp soon followed, the release said.
“Over the past six years, we have evaluated many varieties and identified the ones that are better suited for our region. In this second phase of our project, we can focus on those cultivars that have proven to perform great,” Carrillo said.
When the joint venture with PTF was signed earlier this year, Desert Ghost embarked on a massive project to remove the Ivory and Krissy blocks and plant back new vines with Early Sweet, Ruby Rush and Applause varieties. The rest of the prepared open ground has also been planted with new blocks of Honey Pop, more Ruby Rush and Early Sweet, the release said.
“We have a 14-year relationship with Pacific Trellis, and we are thrilled to go into this new phase of the project with a company that shares our commitment to quality, and we look forward to continuing to expand our program,“ Carillo said.
“PTF has had a long-standing relationship with the Carrillo family, and this opportunity provided us with a chance to lay a cornerstone in our Mexican table grape program with an aligned strategic partner,” said Earl McMenamin, senior sales executive and category manager for Mexico and California Grapes. “We look forward to an exciting future with these new additions to our table grape portfolio.”
With an existing Mexican grape program that sources 1.5 million boxes from all districts, including Guaymas, Hermosillo and Caborca, this joint venture is a significant enhancement that will bring PTF’s total program close to two million boxes in three years, the release said, adding that the Mexican grape program, along with their large South American and California programs, allows PTF to supply customers with premium table grapes 365 days a year.
By Iyer Amruthur ALC San Antonio
You weren’t born yet; there’s no record you can follow back, the digital and paper trail buried deeper than your local fiber cables, allowing you to read this periodical! I’m, of course, talking about 1200 BCE, when historians theorize that the first ocean trade route began. Thankfully, dusty naval logs and old boxes of hardtack are not what we’re here for. We’re here to talk about something pretty topical in today’s economic world: tariffs. A tariff is critical to trade, as it is a tax or duty paid upon importing a certain good or product class from another country. They can range from small to cripplingly large in terms of fees. They’re almost as old as trade, but not quite. The United States issued its first tariff back on July 4, 1789, 286 years ago. It levied a charge per ton of goods brought into the USA towards the selling party, such as wine, beer, and coffee.
Fast-forwarding to modern times, tariffs are a common and omnipresent part of trade. Discussions about tariff policy have evolved into a raucous, entropic, and engrossing conversation. The effects are wide-ranging and sweeping. As you can imagine, the cost of goods and services has wild implications, almost a butterfly effect on a country’s economy and even its partners. Let’s take the example of a simple tariff on imported aluminum and steel. Every car frame, CNC-turned bolt, or screw, down to the cost of buying a new truck and trailer for transport, is affected. When the cost of goods and manufacturing starts to balloon, the implications and effects become pervasive.
A more expensive sheet of aluminum can lead to layoffs, higher purchasing costs, slower development times, cutting corners, and, in some cases, the collapse of a brand or product category. I’m sure you all remember when eggs became a bit “pricey”, and we saw quite an explosion of creative, if not tasty, substitutes for the traditional American breakfast. A tariff can also vary in terms of total cost, ranging from minor to major, and levying vastly different impacts on the respective industry.
To give an example, the USA recently placed a 25% tariff on Mexican Imports (for non-USMCA-compliant goods). In order for goods to avoid this, they must be compliant under standards requiring a large majority of the final “product” to be built within the USMCA region. The regional clause allows Mexico to avoid 87% of all tariffs on goods, including cars, machinery, electrical equipment, agricultural goods, beer, and spirits. Along with a base 10% tariff for all other countries, these policies were put into play in March of this year.
Tariffs can often be implemented as a trade tool, but are also used as a reactionary or punitive measure. For instance, the tariffs levied against Mexico were cited as a deterrent and countermeasure to an influx of drugs into the USA, where efforts perceived by Mexico were assessed as “lax”, as well as solving a growing trade imbalance between the USA and Mexico. This gives the USA an opportunity to “level” the playing field by encouraging outside companies to invest in USA-based production, pressure foreign competitors to “play ball”, and aid in job creation.
Tariffs are simple, effective, and potent measures to control global and domestic trade. However, they also have wide-ranging implications that extend across both macroeconomic and microeconomic conditions. Let us look forward to a future of balanced and healthy trade!
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Iyer Amruthur is a national sales manager in the ALC San Antonio office and has been with the company for three years. He attended The University of Georgia where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, with a minor in Communications.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Fluctuante reports frozen Peruvian mangoes are regaining momentum after many producers shifted their focus to the fresh market last season. That trend may be be reversing in the 2024–25 season with 67,000 tons of frozen mango exported.”
Processing takes place in the same regions which grow fresh mangoes: Piura, Lambayeque, and Ancash.
Fluctuante notes when exporting frozen mango cubes or slices, you’re targeting a market that wants a ready-to-eat or easy-to-open product.
The main markets for Peruvian frozen mangoes are the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Chile.
According to a report by IndexBox, the U.S. berries market will witness steady growth with a CAGR of 4% from 2024 to 2035. The raspberry and blackberry market has been experiencing growth for nine consecutive years, seeing 20% growth of $1.1 billion in 2020. The consumption peaked in 2020 and is expected to continue growing in the years to come.
In 2020, consumption of berries in the United States surged to 161,000 tons, growing by 31% compared with 2019. Revenue in the U.S. during that year also grew by 20% compared to the previous year.
The raspberry and blackberry market in the U.S. consists entirely of imported products; import prices have also increased sharply. However, despite the hike in price, the U.S. relies on foreign supplies due to insufficient domestic output.
According to the report, the U.S. will remain reliant on imports for at least the medium term.
The Port of Oakland welcomed 2025 on a positive note, experiencing growth in both import and export volumes. In January 2025, loaded container volume reached 146,187 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), marking an 8.5% increase from January 2024, which saw 144,405 TEUs.
“Strong import growth indicates the resilience of Northern California’s economy and reflects the confidence cargo owners have in our port,” stated Bryan Brandes, the Maritime Director of the Port of Oakland. “Export volumes remain steady, showcasing the ongoing global demand for U.S. agricultural and manufactured goods. This growth is a result of the dedicated efforts and collaboration among our labor force, terminal operators, and supply chain partners. We value their commitment and will continue to work together to enhance efficiency and expand capacity to better serve our customers.”
Loaded imports experienced a 13% increase, with 81,453 TEUs processed in January 2025, compared to 72,081 TEUs in January 2024. In contrast, loaded exports saw more modest growth at 3.4%, totaling 64,735 TEUs in January 2025, up from 62,596 TEUs the previous year.
Additionally, empty imports dropped significantly by 26.2%, with 12,625 TEUs departing the Port in January 2025 compared to 17,117 TEUs in January 2024. Conversely, empty exports rose by 19.8%, with the Port handling 34,363 TEUs this January, compared to 28,694 TEUs in January 2024.
Dayka & Hackett, a leader in global fresh produce distribution, has announced a new partnership with UVEX, a premium Mexico-based table grape grower and exporter.
The partnership will focus on developing 500+ hectares of land into premium grape varieties, including Sun World International, Grapa, and Bloom Fresh, expanding D&H’s table grape portfolio and customer offerings.
“Partnering with UVEX is a key step toward enhancing our table grape offerings, and we are excited about the potential to deliver exceptional grapes that exceed the expectations of our customers,” Kyle Hackett, CEO of Dayka & Hackett, said. “This collaboration will enable us to provide a steady supply of premium varieties and continue to lead the industry in innovation and quality.”
As part of the project, D&H will implement an innovative indoor packing and cooling facility, specifically designed for clamshell, bi-color, and tricolor packaging. The organization said the modern facility will ensure efficiency and quality control, delivering fresh, high-quality grapes to the market.
“Eight years ago, we set out to revolutionize our vineyards by introducing superior grape varieties—meticulously selected and expertly cultivated to deliver exceptional quality,” Luis Carrillo, UVEX’s Commercial Director, said. “Today, we’re proud to partner with Dayka & Hackett, a company that shares our passion for excellence. This strategic alliance marks a bold step forward in raising the standard for flavor and quality in the Mexican table grape industry.”