By Gerelyn Terzo, Global AgInvesting Media
A cross-border tie-up is taking shape in the table grape trade, linking a UAE-based fruit group with a Peruvian grower in one of the Southern Hemisphere’s key export regions. Unifrutti Group, owned by Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company ADQ, is acquiring Safco Peru from Rio King. Safco operates about 560 hectares of vineyards and two packhouses in Southern Peru’s Ica. The transaction expands Unifrutti’s footprint in a major supply corridor, adding to its production and distribution network across Chile, Peru, South Africa and Italy while growing the company’s wider production map into markets including the Philippines.
Additionally, the acquisition broadens the combined platform’s mix of proprietary varieties, including Cotton Candy, Sweet Globe and Autumn Crisp, supporting a more continuous supply program across growing seasons. Safco supplies premium table grapes to leading U.S. retailers, with a specialized focus on its own varieties.
Following the deal, Unifrutti’s grape portfolio will span more than 4,300 hectares, with annual production of about 15 million boxes, or roughly 120,000 metric tons. Bringing Safco into the fold extends Unifrutti’s ability to supply U.S. buyers across most of the marketing year, running from September through June.
The company says volumes can be sourced across Peru’s Piura and Ica regions, then supported by production in Copiapó in northern Chile and additional vineyards further south through central Chile. For European customers, that reach is supplemented by sourcing from Italy and South Africa, widening the geographic base used to fill seasonal gaps and buoy the table grape market segment.
Mohamed Elsarky, Group CEO of Unifrutti Group, stated, “This acquisition marks another step in our journey to build the world’s leading sustainable multi-fruit company with a 52-week integrated supply. By integrating Safco’s premium varieties and capabilities, we reinforce our ability to serve leading retailers and distributors worldwide.”
As of Q3 2025, Peru’s grape exports were poised for a strong 2025/26 harvest, with FOB values projected to rise 9 percent from year-ago levels, possibly more in ideal growing conditions, topping $2.3 billion. The catalyst has been a pivot to patented, high-yield varieties, now covering 75 percent of planted areas (from 16 percent a decade ago), plus a push for popular white seedless grapes and smart water use in dry spots like Piura. As the top global table grape exporter, Peru reaches over 40 markets, including the U.S., EU and China, in a $12 billion global market. Still, rising competition from Chile and China, plus climate risks, highlight the need for more efficient supply chains from farms to shipping.
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