According to ODEPA's magazine, Boletin Fruticola, the volume of Chilean nut exports increased by 18.1% in the first five months of 2014 when compared to the same period of 2013.
The report, prepared by Jaime Bravo Mina, states that "the volume of nut exports is almost a third of what the sector usually ships in a year."
Exports of shelled walnuts lead shipments of nuts in the comparison period, registering a 45.8% growth.
Meanwhile, exports of shelled hazelnuts increased by 11.2% and exports of shelled walnuts increased by 7.2%, while exports of almonds with no shells fell by -43.4%, exporting 20% of the annual volume because of the damage that the frosts in September had on the almond production.
The report highlights the sharp increase in average FOB prices of almonds with no shells and an increase in the prices of walnuts.
"Overall, the industry is making high profits because of the increase in international prices and the improvement of the exchange rate," states the report.
Source: Fresh Fruit Portal