Complex residue in Peruvian quinoa affects exports

Few Peruvian quinoa exporters at Biofach Only three Peruvian quinoa exporters had booked a booth a the Biofach trade fair last month. This is a stark difference with the dominant presence of Peruvian quinoa in previous years, as the country is one of the two main suppliers of quinoa to global markets – the other … Read more

How to respond to COVID-19 in grains, pulses and oilseeds sector – study published by CBI

My client CBI just published this study on COVID-19 in grains, pulses and oilseeds, which I wrote. The short report contains 12 steps for companies to follow in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It distinguishes between the immediate response and adapting to ‘the new normal’. I hope it comes in time and proves useful. Let … Read more

Chia imports stable at 17.5 thousand tons

Volume of imports Imports of chia seeds into the European Union (EU) increased only 0.2% by volume in the period October 2017– September 2018 (Figure 1). Figure 1: Chia imports in tons per year, 2014/15 – 2017/18, year ending September Paraguay remains the biggest exporter to the European Union with 5417 tons, followed by Bolivia … Read more

European quinoa imports grow 3%, price is increasing

European quinoa imports grew 3% in the year ending October 2018, reaching 25677 tons (Figure 1). In the previous year, imports only grew 1%. Peru and Bolivia still dominate European Union quinoa imports, while Ecuador and, recently, Turkey also hold small market shares. These statistics don’t include Europe’s domestic production of several thousand tons. Figure … Read more

Bolivia starts ‘historic’ export of organic quinoa to China 

Last Friday, Bolivia started exporting organic quinoa to China. The first 40 ton is being transported from companies in the Bolivian highlands to the Peruvian harbour Ilo. President Evo Morales: “This is a historic day and unforgettable for quinoa farmers, as we are shipping quinoa to China for the first time.” Morales visited ‘Sociedad Industrial … Read more

How to read the Indian mango season

India is the major global producer of mangoes and the largest global supplier of mango puree, for domestic and export markets. European processors and traders often complain about the difficulty to read the Indian mango market. For this reason, I’m sharing background information about Indian mango. My experience in mango is based on working five … Read more