Fruit exports have grown exponentially in the last eleven years. The accumulated increase in the volume of fruit exports in the 2002-2013 period amounts to 805.4%, equivalent to an annual average growth of 22.2%.
Last year, the value of exports exceeded by far the value obtained in 2013. Fruit exports between January and November 2014 amounted to $1296.7 million dollars, 45% more than in 2013 when they amounted to $894 million dollars in the same period. Fruit exports in 2014 accounted for 35.3% of the value of the agricultural sector's non-traditional exports.
The landscape has changed over the years. For example, the mangoes, which in 2002 accounted for 44% of total exports of fruits, currently represent 20.5% of total fruit exports. However, it remains a major fruit export. Other fruits that have decreased their export share, although not as dramatically, are bananas, which decreased from 8.2% to 6.1%, and the tangerines, which went from 8.1% to 4.1%. Meanwhile, the main export fruits, such as the grapes (especially Red Globe) and the avocado, account for 39.1% and 15.8%, respectively, of total fruit exports.
The blueberry is a special case. The value of blueberry exports increased from $17.3 million in 2013 to more than $24.3 million in 2014. From 2012-2014, blueberry exports grew by 36 times.
Fruit exports were mainly destined to the United States, followed by the Netherlands, UK, Hong Kong, China and Spain.
Source: Proexpansión