Chile: High temperatures affect blueberry production
Despite blueberry exports increasing by 86% in the last eight seasons, producers and exporters must lower their expectations for 2011-2012. The reason is the high temperatures affecting the central-southern and southern areas of the country, where there was a rise of 18% on average, since the region of Maule up to the region of Los Ríos, representing 81.15% of the productive hectares for blueberry.
In face of this, the Blueberry Committee of Chile lowered exporting estimations for the present season in 5.14% of the expected total in the first place. Andrés Armstrong, executive manager of the organization, explained that in face of the rise in temperature the harvest will be moved forward and "some will be lost, dropping the estimations".
According to the last info from the committee, the projection for the present exercise corresponded to 78,000 tons. But accordingly to the new conditions it was lowered to 73,986 tons. The note also refers a 30% to 40% drop in production for some varieties in the southern areas of the country. Although, the partner of Berries Osorno Chile (Bocsa), Juan Eduardo Edwards, informs that there are still no changes adding that "if there are it will be noticed starting April". The season for blueberry harvest starts in October and ends in May, approximately.
Source: DF