Peru's potential for cherry development can attract agricultural capital due to the great economic reward it would generate

“Are cherries the future of agriculture in Peru?” With this suggestive question Adam Formica, scientific director of Sensonomic, opens the debate and affirms that it is possible. And Chile, which otherwise produces crops similar to Peru, exported US$3 billion of that fruit last season. This meant 57% of world exports, of which 91% went to China. “A key challenge for cherry development on the coast of Peru is that winter temperatures do not drop below 7 to 8 degrees Celsius. There are not enough cold hours for bud opening. However, advances in technology, driven by foreign investments, could help overcome this barrier,” he explained. Along these lines, he considered that blueberries are a good case study, since from Morocco to Peru, developments in genetics have allowed the development of blue berry production in desert regions. “New varieties like Eureka Sunrise, Sekoya Pop, and Magica have zero or low chill hour requirements, and did well during El Niño. Shade nets can help ...