Last season, severe frosts caused the loss of half of the Chilean plum production. This situation has been reversed and in 2014-2015 export volumes exceeded 11.5 million boxes.
Exporters, however, stress that this has been a normal season and that demand is stagnant.
"Demand is stagnating due to a lack of genetic innovation to improve existing varieties; many of them, especially the early varieties, lack flavour or size," said an exporter.
The Larry Anne (+118.9%) and Angeleno (+95.2%) varieties are those that have registered higher growth due to good calibres in the former's case and to the latter's late arrival, which made it possible to reach the best markets in the months of April-May.
The following chart shows the difference between the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 campaigns in the number of boxes shipped to various destinations.
Another factor worth noting, as shown in the above table, is the positioning of the Far East as the main destination for Chilean plums.