Argentina: low volumes compared to last year, but quality ensures exports

22 Jan 2025
1460

“It will be difficult for the cherry exports to exceed the 7,000 tons reached last season,” said Aníbal Caminiti, general director of the Argentine Chamber of Integrated Cherry Producers (CAPCI), with a certain resignation, when asked about the evolution of the campaign. Not by chance, at the beginning of the harvest, it was expected that external placements of this product could reach the 8,000-ton threshold.

But the Chubut harvest failed, and estimates predicted that this season would bring just over 1,800 tons of cherries to the international market. “The damage caused by hail and the unusual rainfall ended up affecting more than 50% of the total harvest in Chubut. This scenario was not in anyone’s plans,” Caminiti confided.

During the last season, cherry exports almost reached 7,200 tons, and by the end of December this year, they had settled at 6,000 tons.

“We will have a record production in Río Negro, relatively normal in Neuquén and Mendoza, but we will suffer a strong drop in Chubut, which limits the last stage of exports of the system,” added the CAPCI manager.

When asked about the price crisis observed for cherries in the Chinese market, the businessman assured that it did not affect the Argentine offer, as many of the early fruits were distributed to other markets, maintaining high prices compared to those in China.

“Unlike Chile, which had quality problems in its exportable offer, our fruit was in high demand because it was of excellent quality,” explained Caminiti. He added that a significant percentage of the exports consisted of early cherries, meaning they entered the market when it was relatively “clean.” On the other hand, not much fruit was destined for the Chinese market. “We don’t have a commercial dependency on China like Chile,” he added.

As a reference, by the first week of 2025, the neighboring country had exported about 550,000 tons of cherries, of which around 510,000 (93%) were destined for the Chinese market.

“This season will not be negative for Argentine exporters. Prices have remained stable thanks to the quality of the cherries. We lacked volume, which unfortunately affected the producers in Chubut,” Caminiti confided at the end of the conversation.

Source: Más Producción
Image:  Más Producción


Cherry Times - All rights reserved

What to read next

In its own small way... in cherry orchards, Piedmont invests big!

Varieties

09 Aug 2023

Piedmont is one of the few Italian regions showing signs of vitality in the cherry sector. In fact, while other regions have been struggling for years to maintain their positions as leading regions, from Piedmont there is renewed interest in the red fruit of paradise. But why?

Climate change impact on Chilean cherry trees: heat and drought stress

Tech management

05 Aug 2025

In Chile, sweet cherry trees face heat and drought due to climate change, risking lower yield and quality. Sweetheart and Santina cultivars benefit from phytohormones and innovative agronomic strategies to withstand summer heat and water stress, keeping production sustainable.

In evidenza

Genomics and cherries: the race is on in Jerte to develop new varieties better suited to the market

Breeding

16 Apr 2026

Genomics is accelerating cherry breeding in Spain’s Jerte Valley: Cicytex and local cooperatives launch a 2026-2030 project to identify new varieties faster, analysing 1,000 trees and 110 cultivars in one of Europe’s leading modern cherry-growing regions.

Sweet cherry pruning management in Moldova: combined effects of timing and techniques on yield and fruit quality

Tech management

16 Apr 2026

Cherry pruning in Moldova directly affects yield and fruit quality: summer pruning and renewal cuts improve size, productivity, and uniformity. Trials on varieties and rootstocks highlight effective strategies for managing modern intensive cherry orchards.

Tag Popolari