The Chilean kiwi harvest ended in week 20, the Kiwi Committee reported. It was a challenging season in logistical terms, with high costs and high inflation.
"We faced different challenges this season. On the one hand, there is some fruit with smaller sizes due, in part, to the summer heat. Thus, we expect some fruit will be discarded for export. This would impact the reduction of the final shipments of the fruits that are in storage, especially, because it's harder to find spaces in the markets for lower-sized calibers that have lower prices in a year in which the cost structures are more expensive," stated Carlos Cruzat, the president of the Kiwi Committee.
"Now we have to see how the markets move, the speed in which they purchase the product, which as we know is affected by three major issues. First of all, global inflation, second, the increase in costs in almost all areas, which is ultimately passed on to consumers that already have a significant inflationary burden and are not always willing to continue making purchases if their budget doesn't allow it. Thus, it's important to monitor the situation and adapt," he stated.
"We are still facing significant port and shipping complications, which affect exports, not only from Chile but from different countries of the world. Transit times are longer, and waiting times at ports have also been extended. Thus, we are facing logistics problems, a greater presence of fruit in the markets, inflation, and higher logistics, production, and storage costs issues that will challenge how we'll sell and place the fruit in a timely manner and at a price that responds to the increase in costs and inflation this season," Cruzat added.
It's worth noting that the Committee's last Kiwi Report indicates that the country has shipped 65,432 tons of kiwi up to date (week 21-22), i.e. 15% less than the 76,713 tons it shipped by the same period of 2021.
Source: Simfruit / asoex.cl