Grapes are one of the most important pillars of Peruvian agricultural exports. Since 2008, the product has established itself in the global market with two key regions leading the commercial campaign: Piura, in the north, and Ica, in the south-central region.
In recent years, the grape industry has faced significant challenges, according to Agraria, especially climatic and commercial ones, such as Cyclone Yaku, which prevented the proper development of the 2023-24 campaign, and the recent pandemic, which particularly affected products requiring delicate logistics, such as grapes.
Despite all this, grapes have overcome these challenges and are growing steadily. Several years ago, mass grape production for export in Piura was viewed with skepticism. However, thanks to the use of irrigation technology, netting to reduce sunlight, and proper crop management, not only has a successful production been achieved, but also an earlier ripening period than in Ica and Chile, making it very timely for the Peruvian agricultural export calendar.
In this 2024-25 season, which is expected to end this month, the main threat was the lack of water, especially in the northern region. However, this problem was effectively overcome, as most crops have their own reservoirs and modern irrigation systems, which allowed for proper resource management. Furthermore, the rains, although somewhat later than expected, finally arrived, lifting the drought alert in the region.
Another major challenge was logistical: the lack of containers remained constant throughout the season, especially in December and January. The port of Callao suffered severe congestion and faced serious problems handling the outflow of this season’s volumes. Pisco and Chancay, despite continuing to play secondary roles, were able to meet demand to some extent, although the need for greater investment in logistics for the sector’s growth became evident.
With these challenges overcome, and with the campaign shortly coming to an end — which began in July — a volume of 684,000 tons has been accumulated, valued at $1.977 billion, a record figure for Peruvian grapes.
This represents an increase of 34 percent in volume and 28 percent in value. Furthermore, shipments were distributed more efficiently, generating peaks in December and January that allowed for better prices and avoided aggressive cross-harvesting between the Piura and Ica campaigns.
March shipments are expected to be significant and extend slightly longer than usual, as announced at the beginning of the campaign. With this, the milestone of surpassing $2 billion will be achieved, a record previously achieved only by blueberries.
Regarding price, the average was $2.89 per kilogram, 5 percent less than last season. Throughout the period, it remained relatively stable, reaching a high of $3.00 in January of this year and a low of $2.60 in August of last year.
Regarding the producing regions, Ica retains the crown, with a 49 percent share; followed by Piura, with 37 percent; and Lambayeque, at the bottom, with 6 percent, demonstrating the importance of the grape in the coastal region.
Although it is still very early and climatic conditions are undetermined for the next 2025-26 campaign, initial expectations are positive, and export growth of between 9-14 percent is anticipated. However, these projections will be influenced by various factors, such as weather, tariffs, and logistics. There is currently a risk of a coastal El Niño event until April and a potential La Niña event in the second half of the year.
The U.S. is once again the main destination for Peruvian grapes, with 358,000 tons valued at approximately $1.043 billion, representing a growth of 51 percent in volume and 39 percent in value. This increase is largely attributed to the optimal timing of Peru’s peak season (December and January), when the U.S. domestic season had already concluded. Other competitors, such as Chile, despite having a good season, took a little longer to enter the market.
It was only at the end of January and throughout February that significant volumes began to be seen in the U.S. market. This allowed Peru to efficiently place larger volumes during these months of high demand without facing strong competition.
