According to information provided by Ronald Bown, president of the Fruit Exporters Association of Chile AG, ASOEX, a total of 68,313 tonnes were exported during the 2013-2014 cherry export campaign; 30.6% more than in the previous season, but 4.4% less than in 2011-2012, when 71,459 tonnes of the fruit were shipped.
Bown noted that the estimations made by the Cherry Committee at the beginning of the 2013-2014 campaign predicted 92,000 tonnes to be exported, which was not achieved because of the crop being strongly affected by frosts in spring 2013. The recorded increase is thus due to the incorporation of young plantations in full production.
Asia, the main destination
Regarding destination markets, Asia has taken the lead with a 74.4% share of all Chilean cherry exports; a record-breaking figure, 4 percentage points higher than in the 2012-2013 campaign. It is worth mentioning that, ten seasons ago (2004-2005), the Asian market accounted for only 23% of the fruit's exports, increasing by almost 51% in just a decade.
North America (U.S. and Canada) ranks as the second largest destination for Chilean cherries, with a 13% share of all shipments; the lowest figure since Chilean cherries were first shipped to those markets. In this regard, it should be noted that, a decade ago, the United States absorbed 45% of all Chilean cherry exports.
Meanwhile, Europe imported 4,408 tonnes this year; 42.5% more than in the 2012-2013 season. In terms of its total share of the shipments, the Old Continent received 6.5%. For its part, the Latin American market imported 3,969 tonnes; a similar volume to last season's.
Producing regions
During the 2013-2014 campaign, almost all producing regions recorded an increase in export volumes, except for the southern IX Region, mainly due to the low temperatures recorded during the spring of 2013 that affected the fruit's settling.
The largest exporter was the VI Region, with 31,309 tonnes; up 38% compared to last year, followed by the VII Region with 27,471 tonnes (+23.7%). It should be noted that the exports from these two regions account for 87% of the total.
The country's maritime shipments grew by 30% compared to the previous season, with an 87% share of all cherry exports. Of this amount, 77% went to Asia, 11% to the U.S. and 5% to Europe.
For their part, air shipments accounted for 13% of the total volume exported and took place mainly during the first weeks of the season, taking advantage of the early fruit demand and low levels of supply at the destination markets. The largest air destination was Asia, with 51% of the volume, followed by the U.S. with 26%.
Lastly, it is essential to note that during the recently concluded 2013-2014 season, a total of 176 Chilean companies exported cherries, compared to the 168 of the previous campaign. The companies under Chile's Cherry Committee accounted for 78% of the exports, successfully culminating a series of promotional campaigns in China and the United States.
