While Brazilian lime shipments dropped off in August, higher volumes left the country year-on-year in mangoes, oranges and watermelons. 

According to statistics from national statistics service Aliceweb, the country's exports of 'lemons and limes' - which is mostly made up of limes - were down 29% year-on-year for the month at 4,777 metric tons (MT).

This is however a small portion of the 68,580MT shipped from January through July.

Figures were much stronger for mango exports jumping 10% to 14,904MT, including rises for the U.S. (+29%; 8,059MT) and the Netherlands (+15%; 3,721MT).

Orange exports were up 30% to 9,793MT, driven by a 255% surge in exports to Portugal which edged out Spain to the number one spot; the latter also recorded a rise in imports of 7%.

Portugal's rise as an importer of Brazilian fruit was a common theme in the August statistics, with growth in imports of mangoes (+12%), oranges (+255%) and papayas (+20%).

Brazil's drought has taken its toll on the country's papayas however and this was seen in the statistics with an 11% decline in shipments, particularly to the Netherlands which dropped from the number one to number three spot.

Watermelon exports rose 41% to 4,844MT with the U.K. as the leading destination taking almost half that volume, however most notable was a 14,833% increase in shipments to Argentina, which received 1,293MT.

The U.K. was also the leading import destination for fresh melons from Brazil in August, notching growth of 17% to 5,000MT, however total exports worldwide were down 16% at 8,400MT largely due to lower shipments sent to the Netherlands, the UAE and Ireland.

Brazil's South American neighbors imported far fewer fresh bananas from the country with leading importer Uruguay cutting its imports by 30% to 2,050MT, but exports to the Netherlands went from just 19MT in August 2015 to 217MT for the same month this year.

www.freshfruitportal.com