Seeking to convert seafood into a larger driver of its economy, the country of Peru announced the launch of a new brand, Superfoods Peru, on the eve of the 2017 Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium.
Peruvian Minister of Production Bruno Giuffra Monteverde announced the launch at a special event at the Press Club of Brussels on Monday, 24 April. The launch is part of a strategy to promote the country’s 30-plus highly valued “superfoods,” Giuffra Monteverde said.
“Superfoods are part of a nutritious family that brings together large quantities of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. We have already launched our super-grains, -fruits and -vegetables, and are now proud to show our diverse range of super-seafood to the world,” he said at the event.
Seafood has been a vital industry for Peru throughout its history, and the modern industry has developed into one that is sustainable and accountable, and which produces top quality products for export, Giuffra Monteverde said. Today, Peru’s fishing industry is worth around USD 2 billion (EUR 1.86 billion), half of which is accounted for by fishmeal and fish oil, and the other half by seafood products for direct consumption, he said.
Peru is focusing the seafood portion of its Superfoods campaign around tuna, anchovies, mackerel and horse mackerel – all species identified to have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids,. The campaign will also include hake, mahi, octopus, scallops, trout, squid, giant squid and paiche, which is one of the world’s largest species of freshwater fish. Out of the secondary category, scallops are Peru’s largest export by value.
In the first two months of 2017, total exports rose by 131.6 percent compared to the same period in 2016, when weather issues related to El Niño took their toll on the harvest. Production has since dipped temporarily, as a result of a coastal El Niño that is affecting all fishing and production activity, especially in the north of the country, but it is anticipated that growth will recover in a short time.
Notable increases were fishmeal, which rose by 183 percent in value, fish oil by 62 percent, frozen fish by 59.8 percent and canned fish by 37.4 percent. In addition, the country saw an important rise in the value of seafood consumer products, particularly in the frozen category, which rose 59 percent.
According to Louis Olivares Pflücker, the director of the Economic and Consular Office of Peru in Brussels, Europe is Peru’s main export market, with the United States close behind, and the market in China developing rapidly.
“We experienced fast growth in value-added products in European markets such as Spain (86 percent growth), France (45 percent growth), Italy (45 percent growth) and the Netherlands (35 percent growth) last year. Total exports to Europe in 2016 were valued at USD 313.3 million [EUR 292 million],” he said.
In his address at the brand launch, Giuffra Monteverde noted how Peru’s modern and responsible fisheries management regime and its IFS Food Safety-certified and BRC-accredited processing factories were opening up “exciting new opportunities” for Peruvian companies to trade with the rest of the world.
“Peru harvests exceptional quality seafood, and we are experiencing the benefits of our attention to detail in maintaining that quality through the supply chain. Our producers look forward to doing some brisk business at Seafood Expo Global,” he said.
