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Chilean fruit expected to soar
Chile
Wednesday 05 March 2008
Manuel Alcaino, president of Decofruit, Santiago, Chile, predicts the Chilean fruit industry will move into high gear with new varieties and major production boosts.
“There’s something very interesting about the cherries,” he says. “Chile has a tremendous potential in cherries because when it is in the market, it has few competitors.
Due to this beneficial situation, Chile has grown its capacity to produce over the last four to six years. Not only there are a lot of new plantations, but there is also the new technology in terms of genetics. We are seeing good early varieties and good late varieties, which stretch the season a lot more than what Chile had with Bing cherries.”
The volume is also growing along with the season. This year, Chile expects 57 percent more cherry exports than last year. Part of the reason the number is so striking is
because last year’s crop was hurt by adverse weather conditions. Still, Chile expects to ship 38,000 tons this year compared to last year’s 24,300 tons, Alcaino notes. The new varieties cope well with shipment by sea and arrive in good condition, he emphasizes.
The new varieties will account for 40 percent of Chile’s total cherry exports.
Overall, Alcaino says Chile’s fruit exports should increase three to five percent over last year’s exports. Peaches, however, is expected to decline because many acres of
older varieties are being removed and replacements are not up to production yet. Apricots are coming on strong with an estimated 16 percent increase, while nectarines and
plums are each expected to gain 3 percent. Likewise, grapes are expected to jump 3 percent with early grapes from the Copiapo Valley gaining 12 percent.
The total amount of fruit destined for the United States, however, may hang in the balance due to a weaker dollar. “In general, fruit will be diverted to Europe rather than the United States, because the Euro is very strong and the dollar is very weak,” Alcaino explains.
“The Chileans need higher prices to cope with a weak dollar. If the market insists on selling at the same level of prices as last year, the volume to U.S. ports will drop very quickly.”
“There’s something very interesting about the cherries,” he says. “Chile has a tremendous potential in cherries because when it is in the market, it has few competitors.
Due to this beneficial situation, Chile has grown its capacity to produce over the last four to six years. Not only there are a lot of new plantations, but there is also the new technology in terms of genetics. We are seeing good early varieties and good late varieties, which stretch the season a lot more than what Chile had with Bing cherries.”
The volume is also growing along with the season. This year, Chile expects 57 percent more cherry exports than last year. Part of the reason the number is so striking is
because last year’s crop was hurt by adverse weather conditions. Still, Chile expects to ship 38,000 tons this year compared to last year’s 24,300 tons, Alcaino notes. The new varieties cope well with shipment by sea and arrive in good condition, he emphasizes.
The new varieties will account for 40 percent of Chile’s total cherry exports.
Overall, Alcaino says Chile’s fruit exports should increase three to five percent over last year’s exports. Peaches, however, is expected to decline because many acres of
older varieties are being removed and replacements are not up to production yet. Apricots are coming on strong with an estimated 16 percent increase, while nectarines and
plums are each expected to gain 3 percent. Likewise, grapes are expected to jump 3 percent with early grapes from the Copiapo Valley gaining 12 percent.
The total amount of fruit destined for the United States, however, may hang in the balance due to a weaker dollar. “In general, fruit will be diverted to Europe rather than the United States, because the Euro is very strong and the dollar is very weak,” Alcaino explains.
“The Chileans need higher prices to cope with a weak dollar. If the market insists on selling at the same level of prices as last year, the volume to U.S. ports will drop very quickly.”
