Chilean fruit exports fall 7 percent

Chilean fruit exporters report lower numbers in terms of volume and value through August 2020.

The Office of Agriculture Studies and Policies (ODEPA) of the Ministry of Agriculture of Chile released data showing that from January to August of 2020, Chile exported 2.62 million tons of fruit worth $4.97 billion, representing a 7 percent fall in volume and an 11 percent fall in value, as reported by PortualPortuario.

Of this value total, 76 percent corresponds to fresh fruit, 17 percent to processed fruit, and 7 percent to dry fruit.

Fresh fruit exports reached 2.13 million tons and $3.76 billion between January and August of this year, representing a fall of 7 percent in volume and 12 percent in value when compared to the same time frame the previous year.

The main commodity exported in this group was grapes, with 600,600 tons and $986 million. This represents a fall of 7 percent in volume and 21 percent in value when compared to the same time frame the previous year. The main destinations were the U.S. and China, with 45 percent and 18 percent in value, respectively.

Next in line were cherries, which registered exports of 145,000 tons and $954 million, reflecting a 6 percent increase in volume and a fall of 7 percent in value. The vast majority, 94 percent of these shipments, in terms of value, were destined for China.

In third place were apples, registering 567 tons and $493 million, representing an 8 percent fall in volume and 14 percent in value when compared to the same time frame last year. Of the total value of apples, 12 percent were destined to the U.S., 9 percent to Saudi Arabia, 9 percent to Colombia, and 8 percent to the Netherlands.

Dry fruit exports reached 80,500 tons and $360 million from January to August, representing a fall of 25 percent in volume and 20 percent in value when compared to the same time frame last year.

During this same time period, processed fruit exports reached 411,800 tons and $855 million, representing a fall of 1 percent in volume and a 1 percent in value when compared to the same time frame last year.