Brazil's apple exports for 2014 are expected to be considerably lower once the season finishes in July, according to estimates from São Paulo University's Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (CEPEA).

A recent CEPEA report cited figures from the Brazilian Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex) that showed export volumes of the fruit were down 47% year-on-year between January and June, reaching 44,000 metric tons (MT).

Average prices received for Brazilian apples just under what they were in 2013 as well, with export values down 48% at US$31 million.

In contrast, apple import volumes rose to put them basically on the same level as exports, with 44,000MT; a record that hadn't been seen since 1998.

The report indicated Brazil spent a lot more on overseas-sourced apples than the prices gained for its own exports of the fruit, with imports rising to US$43 million.

CEPEA highlighted that apple import values were 37% higher than exports, compared to a deficit of 52% last year.

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