The current Citrus season is going well for Chile so far. The weather has been kind, as Juan Enrique Ortuzar, President of the Chilean Citrus Committee, says, "The weather was warm during Autumn to develop good brix and size, but the cooler winter has helped to turn the fruit a brilliant orange color but up to now we have not experienced major freezes." With regards to production figures, the shortage of rains has allowed the fruit to be picked without major interruptions and "Brix and size are normal for navel, clementine and mandarins," says Ortuzar.
Exports figures are looking good this year, with an anticipated rise of 10% overall, to 166,000 metric tonnes. Last year's exports, which were themselves an 11% rise on the previous year, reached 159,581 tonnes.
Ortuzar explains how last year's citrus exports were broken down, "In 2011 oranges were the leading citrus export with a 39.8% share of the total, followed by the easy peelers with 29.8%, lemons with 29.6% and grapefruit at 0.8%.
"This year navel orange exports are anticipated to rise 10% to reach 69,000 metric tonnes. W Murcott shipments are expected to rise by 35% to 19,000 metric tonnes, while clementines should rise 5% to 34,000 metric tonnes. Lemons, meanwhile, are not expected to rise significantly, but are expected to settle around 45,000 metric tonnes."
The US is the primary market, as Juan Enrique explains, "The US accounted for 70% of exports last year, and this share is expected to increase in 2012.
"Following the US is the Far East, which accounts for around 15% of the export total, just under half of which is destined for Japan. Behind these markets Europe also receives a share which could recover from last year’s drop, but is too early to know."
The campaign is not without its challenges, Australia and South Africa in particular make for strong competition. The season is progressing fast and it is possible that packouts may go down if maturity progresses too fast. The lack of rains in the Coquimbo region is of major concern and it is expected that there will not be enough snow in the mountains and water in the reservoirs to meet the next year’s irrigation needs. Maintaining a minimum quality for all the export fruit is also a concern for the committee.
"The Chilean Citrus Committee oversees a minimum maturity program for Navels destined to the export market to make sure that all Navels meet a minimum standard in the marketplace," Said Ortuzar. "A marketing campaign has been presented to promote the fruit in the US and South Korean markets.
For more information:
Monserrat Valenzuela
Gerente Comité de Cítricos Chile
Tel: +56 2 4724783
Mobl: +56 99 84191712
www.comitedecitricos.cl