Pasco is the third biggest capsicum producing region in the country. The region produces 26,703 tons per year, and exports only 236 tons, mainly of the rocoto variety, which is why it is fundamental to solving the pending agenda and to strengthening the shipments of this product that has great potential in Peru and the exterior, said the president of the Capsicum Committee of the Association of Exporters (Adex), Renzo Gomez Moreno.
Gomez Moreno spoke about the VIII International Convention of Capsicum, which will be held from October 25 to 27 in Arequipa, and said that the rocoto variety was incomparable.
"I have not seen it anywhere else in the world. The brand 'Rocoto de Oxapampa' should be developed to take advantage of the climate and the soil of that city that is similar to that of China and India. There are 2 thousand hectares of cultivation that would help increase its presence in the country and the world," he said.
Gomez said that, since Oxapampa was an important area for capsicum, Adex's International Capsicum Convention could be hosted in that area next year. He also said that in 2016, the production of the rocoto variety had grown by 47% at the national level when compared to 2015 and that it was the fourth capsicum produced with 30.29 tons.
In turn, Adex's agroexport manager, Paula Carrion Tello, said capsicum was the sixth most exported product in the non-traditional agricultural sector and that it was having a greater participation. Peru exports US $249 million of peppers and chillies, while world imports of this product amounted to US $11.938 million.
"The rise is due to gastronomy. Our chillies and peppers were demanded by national and international restaurants in their different frozen, fresh and packaged presentations," she said.
Eighth exporter
Peru is the eighth biggest exporter of capsicum worldwide and has a potential for growth that must be exploited. The VIII International Capsicum Convention, will address some situations that must be resolved with the objective of making production sustainable. "The promotion of rocoto production will allow the Oxapampa and the Pasco regions to continue growing," Carrion added.
Adex's Agroexport Manager said she wasn't very optimistic in her growth projection of the chilli and pepper sector because of the ravages of Coastal El Niño had had on the fields. She said that they were working to achieve better prices despite competition from China.
It is worth stating that the most produced capsicum varieties at the national level are the bell peppers (53 thousand tons), chili peppers (37 thousand tons) and paprika (31 thousand tons). They are followed by the rocoto variety.
Source: larepublica.pe