Federeico Montes, citrus advisor to the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP), revealed that Uruguay expected to place between 8,000 and 9,000 tons of citrus in the United States.
Montes estimated the citrus sector production volume would recover from the climatic adversity suffered in 2012 and amount to nearly 350,000 tons, the level prior to the frosts in 2012.
According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (DIEA), citrus production in the last harvest amounted to 234,673 tons, 50% of which were oranges.
The adviser estimated that Uruguay would export "between 120,000 and 150,000 tons of citrus this year". According to the DIEA, 113,000 tons were exported last year, 18% more than in the previous year, but below the average volume exported between 2005 and 2011. 2012 was a bad year, and 2013 a regular one. Expectations are that 2014 will be the year of recovery.
The citrus harvest began with the Satsuma tangerine early variety. "They have a very good health and a slightly smaller calibre because the first flowers were burned by the frost, and there was an excess of water and fewer bright days," said Montes.
The European Union is the main destination of Uruguayan citrus but, as the U.S. market opened in 2013, a year in which the country only shipped four containers with 6,000 boxes of Valencia orange variety, i.e. 90,000 kilos, 2014 will be the first year Uruguay really starts sending shipments to said market.
"The first containers of Satsuma tangerines will depart within ten days and then we will continue the Clementine variety," Montes said, adding that, "there will be a good demand because the U.S. had weather problems and wont be self-sufficient."
After the tangerines are shipped Navel table oranges will follow, then the Salustiana and Valencia varieties. "We will make a variety pool for the United States," announced Montes.
"Uruguay has the challenge of consolidating the U.S. market," said the adviser.
At present, the Uruguayan government is working to lift restrictions in China, Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as to achieve a trade flow in the so-called "American path" which includes countries such as Colombia, Panama and Mexico, which are in the fruit's way en-route to the United States.
Source: Elobservador.com.uy