Chilean fruit exports rise 6% over 2015-16 season - FreshFruitPortal.com

Chilean fruit exports rise 6% over 2015-16 season

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Chilean fruit exports rise 6% over 2015-16 season

The Chilean Fruit Exporters' Association (ASOEX) has said shipmentsĀ rose for the secondĀ year in a rowĀ during the 2015-16 season that ended at the end of August, with volumes rising 5.9% toĀ 2.49 billion metric tons (MT).Ā manzana-shutterstock_139901806

Apples became Chile'sĀ most heavily exported crop over the season, displacing table grapes, and China also became the country's second-largest market.

"This is the second consecutive rise for the sector, although we were not able to reach the record of 2.65 billion MT achieved during the 2012-13 season, after which Chile was hit with the worse frosts in 60 years," ASOEX president Ronald Bown said.

Shipments to the U.S. and Canada rose 3% year-on-year, while exports to the Far East spiked 11%, making the latter the only destination where trade has seen sustained growth for more than 10 years, he added.

A third of all Chilean fruit shipments ended up in the U.S. and Canada, with a fifth shipped to Europe, Latin America, and the Far East each, and 4% to the Middle East.

Bown also noted that two-thirds of exports were concentrated in just six countries - the U.S. (32%), China (11%), the Netherlands (9%), Brazil (6%) and Colombian and the U.K. with 4% each.

He pointed out that shipments to Brazil saw the biggest growth this season of 39%, and exports to the market have grown 59% over the last four seasons, with apples driving the increase.

Apples displace table grapes

Over the 2015-16 season, apple exports rose 14% to 728,177MT, displacing table grapes which fell 9% to 687,802MT. The two crops together represented 57% of total fruit export volumes.

Kiwifruit shipments rose 11% to 185,217, while pear volumes slid 6% to 126,355MT and avocado exports jumped 76% to 119,887MT.

The exports' FOB (Freight on Board) value rose 3% to US$4.7 billion, with table grapes leading the pack (28%), followed by apples (13%), cherries (13%) and blueberries (12%). It should be noted the latter two only accounted for 3% and 4% of volumes respectively.

The value of avocado exports rose by the same number of percentage points as the volume, as the average selling price was at a similar level to last season.

Destinations

Bown said the U.S. remained the main destination this season, with exportsĀ growing 1.7% to 792,640MT.

"The fruit that the largest volumes to the U.S. was table grapes, representing 39% of our total exports, followed by apples 13%, and oranges and blueberries with 8% each," he said.

"Our main destination ports were Philadelphia and Wilmington, which together received 44% of our shipments."

He also noted shipments to China (including Hong Kong) had grown 227% in six years, and last season the market received 59% of all Asia-bound shipments. China was followed by Taiwan, which received 14%, South Korea with 9% and India with 7%.

Table grapes were also the most heavily export fruit to Asia.

Europe received a total of 529,235MT of fresh Chilean fruit, 4% up from the previous season. The Netherlands, being the main point of entry into the continent, took 41% of volumes, while the U.K. took 19% and Russia took 10%.

Apples were the most exported crop to the European market.

Photo: www.shutterstock.com

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