North America Edition
The harvest in the North Zone (Coquimbo and Valparaíso) is almost finished with 21% more fruit than the previous campaign. The central zone volumes are decreasing and exports are slightly lower, the same is noticed in the central south zone, which is currently entering the peak of harvest weeks.
This adjustment is associated with a drop in the exports of the early varieties, mainly Duke and ONeal, due to the high concentration of crops, the variety renewal and also the effect of the frost that affected some sectors of the south central area. On the contrary, the mid-season varieties are seen with more volume, which could be associated to earlier harvests thanks to the favorable climatic conditions of this spring. The southern zone meanwhile is just beginning with certain earliness in Duke's crops and larger export volumes for the time.
Considering the above, 9,145 tons were exported during week 50 and the total up to date reaches 27,350 tons, being the first time in the current season that the accumulated volumes reach a lower figure than the previous season, which represents a 2% drop in the total shipments. On the other hand, organic blueberry continues to increase and until week 50 the shipments reached 60% more fruit than the previous season, with 3,740 tons accumulated.
Source: IQonsulting
