Fresh Plaza | 3 May 2021
Peruvian agribusinesses' interest in acquiring land in Colombia increases
Peruvian agribusinesses' interest in acquiring land in Colombia increases
According to Pilar Lozano, the commercial attaché of the Colombian Embassy in Peru and director of Procolombia for Bolivia and Peru, Peruvian agribusiness companies have a growing interest in investing in land in Colombia and at least five companies would do so in 2021.
Three of these companies will acquire land to grow blueberries and they are looking for the geographic areas with the most suitable weather conditions for this crop, Lozano said. Two companies, one of which plans to grow blueberries, are looking for land to grow avocados, and another one will invest in hectares to produce mangoes and citrus fruits.
Until now, Peruvian agricultural investments in Colombia have focused mainly on the Hass avocado. Colombia already has 25,000 hectares of Hass avocado. Peru has 31,000 hectares, the largest extensions of which are in coastal areas, according to data from last year from Peru's Association of Hass Avocado Producers (Prohass).
Some of the conditions that the companies evaluate to purchase the land are its proximity to packing companies, stevedores, and ports, Pilar Lozano stated.
The Peruvian agribusinesses' interest in acquiring and cultivating land in Colombia has grown since the Agrarian Promotion Law was repealed last year and a new one was enacted with more demanding conditions for the business sector, the commercial attaché said. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in the new plans for the sector, as it hinders every company's ability to travel to make long-term investments.
According to ProColombia, Peru is Latin America's fourth-largest investor in Colombia and the world's 19th biggest investor in the country.