With Chilean cherry shipments to the US in full swing, total export volumes are expected to drop this year due to difficult growing conditions during the winter.
Evan Myers, CEO of Forever Fresh, reports that the start of the Chilean season was affected by the adverse winter weather conditions, with heavy rains affecting especially the earlier varieties. In December, shortages of these varieties led to 95% of cherries destined for the US being shipped by air, usually completed by mid-December before the arrival of the first sea containers.
Myers notes an overall decrease of 30% in shipments to the US compared to the previous year, with about 1.8 million boxes arriving out of a total projection of 2.3 million for this season, compared to 3.3 million last year. Although there are delays in shipments, the overall quality has been good and fruit size has improved significantly.
Compared to the previous season concentrated in three weeks, Myers expects shipments of cherries from Chile to extend into weeks 5 and 6, offering a supply period through February. This more diluted distribution could help retailers recover lost sales in December. At the moment, no significant delays are reported in the Panama Canal.
Myers points out that despite the overall decline in Chilean cherry exports, Forever Fresh will maintain similar volumes to the previous year. He emphasises the significant investments made by Chilean growers/owners in the US market over the past ten years and is confident of future supply growth due to new plantings in Chile and increased consumption in the US.
Read the full artcile: Fresh Fruit Portal
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