The Chilean fruit industry is facing a serious crisis due to the delay in the arrival of the Saltoro ship, which transports 1,300 containers of cherries to China. What should have been an export milestone has turned into a critical situation, with tons of fruit adrift at sea and the latent risk of millions in losses for producers.
The delay in the arrival of the Saltoro, originally scheduled for January 20 but now expected for February 6, has generated great uncertainty in the industry. This setback coincides with the approach of the Chinese New Year, a key date for the marketing of cherries in the Asian giant that will be celebrated on January 29 this year. The delay jeopardizes the quality of the product and its competitiveness in a saturated market, where prices have already fallen by 50% compared to last year.
This year, Chile has exported an unprecedented volume of cherries, sending 122 million boxes to different markets. 91.83% of this volume was sent to China. However, this growth has resulted in an oversupply that has caused prices to plummet. Returns for producers have decreased from 5 dollars per kilo last year to 1.6 - 1.8 dollars per kilo now. Last year, Chile exported 82.7 million boxes, 90.9% of which were destined for China, putting the sector's profitability at risk.
Exporters are concerned about the risk that returns will not cover production costs, which could lead to negative balances in the season. "It's been an extremely challenging year. The fruit has arrived with excellent quality, but demand has not responded as we expected," stated an exporter.
Faced with this crisis, the Chilean industry is evaluating strategies to diversify its markets and reduce its dependence on China. The sector is exploring opportunities in other Asian and Latin American destinations to have greater stability and better business conditions.
As the season progresses, exporters continue to closely monitor the evolution of the market and the reception of shipped volumes.