According to information provided to SimFRUIT by Chile's Citrus Committee, the Chilean citrus season began a week earlier than the previous season, on week 15, with the first shipment of clementines.
Nearly 191 tons of clementines (12,260 boxes) were shipped from Valparaiso to the US; 89% of them will reach the East Coast, and the remaining 11% the West Coast. Specifically, the producers shipped 7,940 boxes of Oronules (121 tons) and 4,320 boxes of Clemenules (70 tons).
Chilean clementines will be available from April to July, mainly. Mandarins shipments would go from August to September. In turn, limes will be available from May to October and Navel oranges from June to October.
According to the Committee, its going to be a good season for the Chilean citrus fruit, as the temperatures have been good so far and there have been enough rains for irrigation, so the fruit's quality will be very good.
Exports estimate for the 2017 season
The Citrus Committee expects Chilean citrus exports will increase by 3% in the 2017 season, amounting to around 256 thousand tons. Of this total, 43% would correspond to clementines / mandarins, 29% to oranges and the remaining 28% to limes.
The country is expected to ship around 75 thousand tons of oranges, a volume very similar to that of 2016. Meanwhile lime exports are expected to amount to nearly 72 thousand tons, i.e. 5% less than in the previous season.
In turn, clementine exports would amount to 42 thousand tons (-2% compared to 2016) and the country would export around 67 thousand tons of mandarins, 26% more than in the previous season.
Source: simfruit.cl