Europe is the largest market for peas from Peru
The pea season from Peru kicked off last week. Colder weather slowed down the start by about two weeks and volumes will still be relatively low for the next couple days. As a result of low volumes, this week’s product is flown into Europe, the main destination for Peruvian peas. “However, with supply ramping up, growers are expected to start loading the first sea containers by the end of next week,” says Teresa Alarcon with North Bay Produce, located in the U.K. She estimates that about 80 percent of North Bay’s peas from Peru are shipped to Europe with the remainder of the volume making it into the U.S. and Japan.
North Bay’s pea growers are all located in the Caraz region, in the highlands of Peru. “It’s one of the best growing regions in Peru due to the high altitude,” Alarcon commented. “There is a big contrast between night and day temperatures and another benefit is the quality of the soil and water.” Water supply comes from a glacier in the area. Two types of peas are grown in Caraz: snow peas, also known as mangetout in Europe, as well as sugar snaps.
Main markets
While production volumes for the two varieties are about the same, they have a very different demand pattern across Europe. The U.K. market has a strong preference for sugar snaps and this variety is also most preferred in Scandinavia. In continental Europe however, consumers have a strong preference for snow peas with the Netherlands being the largest market. “Altogether, it balances out and demand for snow peas and sugar snaps is about fifty-fifty,” Alarcon said. In France, Spain and Italy, consumption of snow peas and sugar snaps is still relatively low. These countries grow other pea varieties as well as other vegetable varieties that can be sourced locally.
Full article in FreshPlaza
FreshPlaza Special on Peru (May 2024)
