The Peruvian National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA) says the country is prepared to increase grape plantations by 25% due to better crop management effiency, website Agraria.pe reported.

INIA fruit innovation leader William Daga Ávalos, told the website that good agricultural practices had allowed grape growers to reduce costs by 15%.

He said INIA was working on reducing water use through the use of stress irrigation, or giving exact dosages only at critical moments, as this can reduce water costs by 50%.

He told the website new plantations were being sowed in disease-free areas, as around 45% of grape farms in the Ica region faced problems with diseases, and this led to significant reductions in sugar and weight levels.

INIA plant health expert Silvio Barrera Rojas said diseases could usually be attributed to infections in the mother plants or graftings. For this reason he recommended new growers only use mother plants or graftings from certified nurseries.

Statistics from the Peruvian Grape Growers Association (Provid) show between eight and 10 new grape growers have entered the industry annually over the last few years.

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