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Latin American Perishable Exporters Brace for Intensifying El Niño Damage

Elevated ocean temperatures across the equatorial Pacific are threatening to devastate Latin American fruit and vegetable exports throughout 2026. Sea surface temperatures have risen more than 2 degrees Celsius above normal, creating conditions for widespread heat waves, droughts, and flooding across the region.

Peru's asparagus exports have already declined 30 percent year-over-year, with doubled prices reflecting the shortage. The Agricultural Producers Guilds of Peru reported 6,000 hectares of northern fruit crops destroyed by March. Rising temperatures have also degraded crop quality, producing thinner asparagus spears that fail European market specifications.

Colombian avocado exporters face similar challenges, with smaller-than-normal fruit sizes reducing export volumes. Exporters contend with elevated labor costs and a strengthening Colombian peso, further squeezing margins as supply dwindles.