According to a report prepared by the commercial area of ProChile-Direcon, in 2016, Chilean exports of organic products amounted to US $227 million, i.e. 19% more than in 2015. There were 223 exporting companies working with organic products.
"In the last five years (2012 - 2016), the exports of this category that have registered the highest annual growth rate are: strawberries (43%), rosehip oil (30%), blueberries (27%), and raspberries (24%), among others," states the document.
Highest growing products
According to the report, the national organic products that achieved the highest growth rates during the 2016/2015 period were fresh red cranberries with 983%, apple juice with 761%, rosehip oil with 175%, and frozen blueberries with 61%.
The organic subsectors that have presented the highest increases in value between 2012 and 2016 were the frozen blueberries (+US $42.1 MM) and fresh blueberries (+US $15.2 MM), frozen raspberries (+US $14.6 MM), frozen blackberries ( +US $4.8 MM), and rosehip oil (+US $4 MM).
Origins
In 2016 the Bio Bio Region led organic shipments with 25% of the total. It was followed by the O'Higgins (24%), Maule (22%), and Metropolitan regions (12%).
Alejandro Buvinic, the Director of ProChile, said that this exports had increased because there has been a worldwide increase in consumption of this type of products, derived from a trend to consume healthier and more environmentally friendly products.
Destination Markets
The main destination market for Chilean organic products is North America, with 73% of the total, and it is followed by Europe (17%) Asia (8%), and to a lesser extent Latin America (2%) and Africa.
According to the document shipments to the United States amounted to US $148.5 MM, while shipments to Canada reached US $16.8 MM.
In Europe, shipments to the Netherlands totaled US $11.5 MM, to the United Kingdom US $5.4 MM, and to Germany US $ 4.1 MM.
In Asia and Oceania, exports are mainly directed to New Zealand (US $ 4.9 MM), China (US $ 4.6 MM), and Japan (US $ 4.2 MM).
In Latin America, Chilean organic products are directed towards Brazil (US $1,6 MM) and Mexico (US $1,6 MM).
Source: SimFRUIT according to information from ProChile