"Chilean cherry production could recover this year"

The Chilean cherry production recorded a considerable reduction last year, mainly due to the weather conditions. This year, prospects are much more positive, as the conditions forecast are more favourable for the crop. "Last year, it was very cold in August, so the planting was affected and the flowering period lasted twice as long; instead of 12 days, it lasted 24 days, which resulted in lower volumes than usual. This year, the outlook is better, as the cold levels should be the right ones to obtain a profitable harvest," affirms Pablo Garcés, of Agrícola Lo Garcés.

While last year was not a very good one, with 19% less production, cherries remain one of Chile's major fruits for export. Over the last 8 years, export volumes have grown significantly, despite the impact of cold winters, frosts in spring and rains during the harvest that have been recorded in some of those years. This season, it is predicted that about 12-14 million boxes will be exported.

"The campaign kicks off in November and lasts until about January, so we do not have accurate data and forecasts remain uncertain. But we remain optimistic and confident that this year will be a year of recovery for our exports. China also remains our main consumer; last year, it imported over 84% of the production. This year, I anticipate that their share will be similar, as demand from this country continues to grow," concludes the representative.

For more information:
Pablo Garcés
Agrícola Lo Garcés
T:+ 56 9988 82352
E: pgarces@sfg.cl
www.sfg.cl