The monthly fruit sector newsletter by the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies of the Ministry of Agriculture (Odepa) advanced the January-May report for this year regarding fruit exports, in which it is informed that fresh fruit exports experienced a 3.2% fall in volume during the first five months of 2012 compared with the same period last year.
Odepa explains that the main increases in export volumes were recorded for mandarins (70.7%), avocados (52.3%), cherries (17.5%) and plums (3.7%). By contrast, there appeared to be a reduction in the exports of lemons (-86.7%), peaches (-9.4%) and apples (-8.4%).
This reduction in fresh fruit exports, according to the entity, is related to the decline in exports of the two main crops: table grapes and apples; a decline which was partly caused by the unusually high temperatures registered last summer.
Avocados took centre stage with an unexpected rise at the beginning of the year lasting until the end of their season. A new Hass avocado season is expected in August.
The report also notes that the US market, "continued reducing their imports of Chilean fresh fruit during the first five months of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011, but continues to lead as the main target market."
The reduction in fresh fruit exports from Chile to the US affects almost every variety, except for avocados, apples, mandarins and kiwis, and it has been particularly steep with cherries, blueberries, plums and table grapes as an effect of Chilean exports being redirected away from the American market in search for better conditions.