The 2020-2021 Chilean fresh fruit export season ended with a total of 2,567,717 tons, reflecting a 1.2 percent increase over to the previous season, Ronald Bown Fernandez, the President of the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile (ASOEX) BB #:156234, told Simfruit.
“It was a very complex season not only due to the presence of the pandemic in our country and the world, but in particular due to all the logistics problems both within the country and in foreign markets, which were well overcome by the industry,” Bown said.
“Likewise, we face a shortage of workers generated by the pandemic in Chile, to which must be added the lack of migrant workers who were unable to enter the country from neighboring countries, so it was necessary to be very efficient in the productive processes, managing to comply with the supply of fruits in Chile and the world, which was a commitment we made as a sector.”
Regarding destination markets, North America continues to be the main destination in terms of volume, receiving 822,479 tons with a growth of .5 percent when compared to the previous season. Asia ranks as second with 737,434 tons, with the highest growth within the markets of 16.6 percent.
For its part, Europe, which until two seasons ago was the second top destination, came in third position receiving 511,846 tons reflecting a decrease of 7.5 percent when compared to the previous season. Following was Latin America with 427,936 tons reflecting a decrease of 1.7 percent, and finally the Middle East receiving 68,032 tons reflecting a decrease of 28.2 percent.
At the country level, the top five destinations are the U.S. with 776,533 tons, China-Hong Kong with 521,723 tons, the Netherlands with 206,351 tons, Colombia with 97,733 tons, and England with 89,482 tons.
The ten main fruits exported by Chile, in terms of volume, were apples 636,145 tons reflecting a growth of 1.8 percent when compared to the previous season, table grapes 536,448 tons and a decrease of 11.2 percent, cherries 352,474 tons and an increase of 54.2 percent, kiwifruit 142,778 tons and a decrease of 1.7 percent, plums 121,213 tons and a decease of 3.4 percent, pears 120,460 tons and an increase of 6.9 percent, blueberries 117,640 tons and an increase of 7.7 percent, mandarins 99,767 tons and a decrease of 19.2 percent, lemons 96,623 tons and an increase of 11.7 percent, and oranges 93,152 tons and a decrease of 2.2 percent.
According to destination markets, the main fruit exported to the Far East was cherries (334,566 tons). While table grapes led exports to the U.S. with 256,945 tons.
Apples were the top fruit exported to Latin America (248,045 tons), Europe (171,083 tons), and the Middle East (47,609 tons).
