Table grape has been the flagship product of Chilean fruit exports. However, in recent years it's leadership has been decreasing. Unlike grapes, cherry exports increased significantly in the 2017-2018 campaign, thanks to this season's supper-harvest and to a greater demand from China. It now threatens to dethrone the hegemony of the table grape.
Between September of last year and this month, the country exported a total of 2.72 million tons of fruit, which represented an increase of 5.6% compared to the same period of the previous season, according to the Association of Fruit Exporters (Asoex). Meanwhile, according to the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies (Odepa), these shipments amounted to more than US $ 5.283 billion, i.e. 3.1% more than in the 2016-2017 season.
An important part of the growth in the export value is explained by the explosive increase in cherries shipments. In the period that is about to end, sales of this species have amounted to more than US $ 1.062 million, which means their value has increased by 56.5%. Meanwhile, the export volume has almost doubled.
The Minister of Agriculture, Antonio Walker, highlighted the growth in the export of fruits and said that what was happening in cherries was impressive. He also said it was essential to diversify destinations to not depend solely on sales to China. "It is necessary to invest in other destinations and allocate part of the volume to Brazil, Europe, and other Asian markets. We won't make the same amount of money that we earn in China, but it will be a gain in the long term," he said.
The president of Asoex, Ronald Bown, also highlighted the growth of fruit exports and said that the increase was mainly explained "by the better climatic conditions that allowed producers to achieve good production levels and by the entry into production of new plantations." In addition, he said, there has been a significant growth in shipments to Asia, with a 30.4% increase in volumes, and in Europe, which grew 9.6%. However, he said, there were slight drops in the markets of the United States, Latin America, and the Middle East. He also stressed that they were making a special effort to opening markets and conduct promotions this season.
Even though it continues to lead Chilean fruit shipments, the export value of table grapes dropped by 11.1%. The president of the Federation of Fruit Producers (Fedefruta), Jorge Valenzuela, said that the current campaign was complex for this species in terms of liquidations. "The volume is still high in the country and producers are in the process of varietal replacement," he said. He also highlighted the high values obtained by the cherry producers and said that the conditions to grow and export this fruit had been ideal this season. Asked about the possibility that cherries could surpass table grapes in value in the next campaign, Valenzuela said it was too soon to know.
Meanwhile, Minister Walker said that Peru had become a tough competitor for Chilean grape producers. As a result, he said, the goal is to have more precocious orchards and a greater density in the country. In addition, it is necessary to make a varietal change in table grapes, and change the traditional agriculture in the south of the country so that it is more modern.
Apart from cherries, the fruits that had the best results were plums, blueberries, and avocados. Meanwhile, there were falls in pears, kiwis, and nuts, among other products.
Source: El Mercurio