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Argentina’s fresh fruit exports grow in 2020

arg pear 11-23-20

Argentina, one of the largest exporters of pears and lemons in the world, has exported nearly 800,000 tons of fresh fruit in the first 10 months of this year.

The 797,220 tons reflect a 6 percent year-on-year increase, as reported by El Diario.

The Argentine Ministry of Agriculture indicated that the European Union, Russia, and the U.S. were the main destinations for citrus, pome fruits, and grapes.

Of the total fresh fruits exported, 321,278 tons corresponded to pears, of which Argentina is the third largest exporter in the world and whose exports grew by 11 percent year-on-year. The main destinations were Brazil (91,794 tons), Russia (85,071 tons), the U.S. (38,294 tons), and Italy (25,367 tons).

Next were lemons, of which Argentina is the seventh largest exporter of in the world with shipments of 247,985 tons, a year-on-year increase of 6 percent. The main destinations were Russia (57,932 tons), the U.S. (33,536 tons), the Netherlands (31,829 tons), and Spain (25,171 tons).

In addition, Argentina’s National Service for Agrifood Health and Quality (Senasa) certified exports of 98,446 tons of apples, 73,956 tons of oranges, and 32,767 tons of mandarins. Within these first ten months, shipments of blueberries, grapes, kiwi, pomegranates, and cherries were also registered, among other fresh fruits.

Luis Basterra, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Argentina said last week that the increase in shipments is an achievement of a combination of forces, among the Argentine producers and Senasa’s tireless work in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Basterra pointed out that the Argentine health service had to “adapt its tasks and adjust controls to continue certifying exports from the agri-food and agro-industrial complex in this pandemic framework, demonstrating that institutions are strengthened even in difficult times when there are accompanying public policies.”

The Argentine authorities indicated that the health service, in the face of a pandemic, carries out inspections of fresh fruits in the country’s cargo terminals and of wooden packaging in commercial export operations.

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Marco Campos is Media Coordinator, Latin America for Blue Book Services