Peru fruit farmers lose out on $150 million of exports in political chaos

Fruit-exporting powerhouse Peru is loading thousands of containers of produce after the clearing of roadblocks that caused an estimated $150 million in crop shipment losses.

The last of the blockades, in the southern region Arequipa, have now been dispersed, allowing a full resumption of harvesting, packing and transport, said Gabriel Amaro, head of Peru’s agricultural producers association, AGAP.

That’s good news for consumers. Besides being a major shipper of avocados and asparagus, Peru is the world’s biggest blueberry exporter and was set to become the biggest global table-grape exporter this season. Peru’s fruit supplies are especially critical to the US, where drought and storms have decimated crops, sending prices soaring.

Still, Peru’s political chaos has seen more then $150 million in agricultural export losses as well as major disruptions to local markets, Amaro said Tuesday in a text message.

“The agro-export companies are once again operating and making shipments that were delayed by the blockades,” he said. “Calm has returned and they are shipping thousands of containers and returning to harvest work since we are in season for several leading products.”

Peru was thrown into chaos after former President Pedro Castillo was impeached and then arrested on Dec. 7, following an attempt to dissolve congress. Amaro said a national state of emergency has helped restore order at the same time as Congress passed a constitutional reform to hold early presidential elections.