by Steven Nyland, OrganicCrops. Posted on 27 April 2016, 10:17 hrs
Peru's Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MINAGRI) announced that Peru has maintained its leading global position as maca producer and exporter. Since 2015, Peru ranks among the top 10 food exporting nations in the world.
Maca root and maca powder exports grew to a record 2174 tons in 2015, an increase of 44% for maca root and 12% for maca powder compared to the previous year. The increase in demand for Peruvian maca confirms Peru's leading position for top quality maca products. Total maca production was at a record 58,000 tons, up 173% compared to 2014 (21,000 tons).
Maca powder remains the most popular maca product for overseas importers with an export volume of 1,411 tons valued at US $ 26.8 million. The United States holds the position as the largest maca powder importer with 35% of the total export volume, followed by Canada (8%), the United Kingdom (8%), Germany (7%), China (7%), Japan (7%) and the Netherlands (4%).
The majority of maca root is exported to Asia with Hong Kong holding its position as the largest maca root importer with 79% followed by China (11%) and Vietnam (4%).
After a few years of controversy when Peruvian maca seeds -and maca plants were illegally smuggled out of the country to Asia for cultivation in China and other Asian countries, the internationally market acknowledges once again that the best quality organic maca comes from Peru. Steven Nyland of OrganicCrops adds: "In order to cultivate top quality maca you need specific conditions that can only be found in the Andean region of Peru. Peruvian farmers grow maca the same way the Inca's did several hundred years ago.".
The main maca producing regions are Pasco, Junin and Huancavelica, which demonstrates the ability of Peruvian farmers using the Peruvian highlands as a source for cultivating various high quality food products." according to MINAGRI.