Agricultural sector continues upward rhythm and grew 5.2% in October

The Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri) reported that, in October of this year, the agricultural sector registered a growth of 5.2% compared to the same month last year, which is in line with the gradual recovery of the national economy.

According to the results provided by the General Directorate of Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation of Policies of the Ministry, in the month of October the agricultural subsector had growth of 6.8%, while the livestock subsector in 2.8%.

In the tenth month of the year, the growth of the agricultural subsector was driven by the higher production of hot pepper which grew more than 62.7% (mainly due to higher production in Pasco compared to 2020 due to the pandemic); strawberry increased 61.9% (greater area planted and harvested in Lima), and oil palm that expanded by 40.9% (mainly due to greater area in production in Ucayali).

The higher production of café parchment, which increased by more than 36.1% (in Ayacucho, Lambayeque and Amazonas); blueberry by 23% (largest area in production in Ica, Ancash and La Libertad); paddy rice by 9.6% (greater area sown and harvested in Cajamarca and San Martín), among others.

Meanwhile, livestock production in that month increased by 2.8% compared to the same month of the previous year. Said result was due to the higher chicken production that increased by 3.4% (higher placement of bb chickens in Lima, Arequipa and Freedom), pigs that grew by 5.6% (higher output in Lima, Huánuco and Ica), raw cow’s milk that expanded by 2.6% (higher production in Cajamarca and Arequipa) and chicken eggs that increased by 1.4% (higher production in Ica, Lima and Arequipa).

Recovery

For its part, the agricultural sector experienced a growth of 3.0% in the January-October period of this year compared to the same period in 2020, sustained by the higher production of both the agricultural subsector (+ 3.8%) and the livestock subsector that increased its production by 1.5%.

In that period the agricultural subsector had an increase of 3.8%, basically due to the greater production obtained from blueberries, which grew by 35.1% (greater production area in Lambayeque, Ica and La Libertad); oil palm by 27.3% (largest area in production in Ucayali) and avocado by 15.3% (largest area in production in Lambayeque, Lima and Freedom).

Likewise, the greater grape production is highlighted, which grew 14.6% (greater surface area in production in Ica, Piura and Lima); while hard yellow corn expanded by 14.0% (greater area sown and harvested in Ica, Lima and Ancash); and the mandarin in 7.6% (greater surface in production in Lima).

Finally, the livestock subsector, in this period experienced an increase of 1.5%, the result of which was mainly due to the higher production of chicken that grew by 1.0% (in Lima, Arequipa and Ica), raw cow’s milk that increased by 3.0% (greater number of cows in production in Ayacucho, Cajamarca and Ica), pigs that registered an expansion of 3.9% (in Lima, Huánuco and Ica) and cattle that increased by 1, 8% (in Cusco, Lima and Ayacucho).