Rainbows from Peru
Since 2003 Peru has been investing seriously in rainbow trout aquaculture, mainly through a socio-economic initiative known as Sierra Exportdora, founded by Peru’s current President Alan Garcia. According to articles taken from www.andina.com.pe, Canada has been the principal importer of Peruvian rainbows for past three consecutive years, consuming an average 33% of the yearly production totals. Other importers include (in order of importance) Sweden, the United States, Spain, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland. Although Peru’s total annual trout production may seem small - 5 thousand metric tons (MT), its annual growth rate since 2004 has been a positively steady 28% on average. Of the 5 thousand MT this year only 700 MT was exported, worth US$ 896 thousand. “We do not export more because our cooperative of producers do not yet have the costs nor the quality competitive with the international market. The idea is to grow from 1 to 3 MT per year for each employed person to 15 to 17 MT. Those are the averages reflected by companies already exporting [farmed trout].” The three leading trout producers and exporters in Peru are Piscifactoría de los Andes, Frigorífico Sama and Reinas del Pacífico.
