Foreign trade

Volume of fresh fruit exports increases 13.3% in Chile

A good harvest season and favorable weather conditions produced large harvests of cherries, blueberries, plums and apples amongst other fruits.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011  

Berries have had a particularly good season in Chile this year. (Photo: Corfo)

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Fresh fruit export volumes in Chile increased 13.3 percent in January-April 2011, passing 1.3 million tons, according to statistics from the Chilean Office of Agricultural Statistics and Policies (ODEPA).

The Office explained the increases as the result of good weather and generally positive conditions for a highly productive harvest season.

Berries had a particularly good harvest this season. Cherry exports increased by nearly 60 percent, while blueberry exports grew by 33.4 percent. The dramatic increases in both came as a combined result of favorable weather and harvest conditions, as well as considerable increases in area planted to both fruits.

Some species experiencing declines in their harvests last year also saw significant growth in 2011. Plum, nectarine, grape and peach exports increased 32.3 percent, 13.1 percent, 10 percent, 4 percent respectively, compared to the same four month period in 2010. The Office has already recorded nearly a 20 percent increase in apple exports so far though only a quarter of the year’s harvest has yet been exported.

Inclement conditions in other parts of Chile’s central valleys produced declines in export volumes for some fresh fruits, including avocados, which were negatively affected by drought conditions in the main producing region near the port city of Valparaíso, as well as raspberries and lemons. Exports of the latter dropped primarily because of decreased demand from the recently tapped Argentine market and increased domestic prices.

Changes in the value of fresh fruit exports in the period were mixed, with some fruits experiencing increases in prices, and others falling off significantly, ending in a 13.9 percent drop in value of fruit exports during this period. Decreases in value were registered for grapes, plums, avocados and peaches. Major value increases were seen in apples (8.7%), kiwis (13%), and particularly oranges (172%)