So far this season, Argentinean cherry exports have amounted to 1,535 tonnes, with a cut-off date of 10 December, a volume that reflects a 36% drop compared to the same period last year.
'This season has been severely delayed due to spring weather conditions. The harvest in general has been delayed by up to seven days and this is reflected in the export figures,' Aníbal Caminiti, director general of the Argentine Chamber of Integrated Cherry Producers (CAPCI), told Más Producción.
This week the harvest is expected to peak and thus a rebound in exportable volumes of fruit.
The manager added that exportable volumes will recover as the harvest progresses and emphasised the excellent quality of this season's fruit. "We had some problems with rainfall in the early varieties, but most of the production shows excellent quality. The importers have been very happy about that,' Caminiti said in another part of the conversation.
The interviewee assured that values remain high, at least until last week. "Prices on the Chinese market for week 49 are up to 13% higher than in the previous season. The first Chilean ships are starting to arrive these days, which will increase supply, so we should expect prices to fall,' the interviewee confided.
Image 1: Aníbal Caminiti, director general of the Argentine Chamber of Integrated Cherry Producers (CAPCI).
As of 10 December, Argentina had shipped cherries to the following destinations: China, 40 per cent; the United States, 29 per cent; the United Kingdom and European Union, 19 per cent; and the Middle East, 4.6 per cent, among the most important.
'In the face of the climatic problems that have affected the start of Chilean cherry production, Argentinian fruit has positioned itself very well, with high quality fruit. Prices in the US and Europe have remained firm so far, compared to the previous season, and are very receptive to the quality of Argentinian cherries, especially in the US market,' Caminiti added.
He also confirmed that export projections for this season have been maintained and will exceed 6,000 tonnes, a record for the business.
On 9 December, the first cargo of Chilean cherries arrived on the Chinese market this season. Then, on 10 December, another batch of cherries transported by sea arrived in Hong Kong, China. The entire ship was loaded with 126 containers, of which 43 were from San Francisco Garces Fruit and the rest from brands such as Copefrut, Dole and Hailang. Varieties on the ship included Royal Dawn, Santina, Glen Red, Black Rock, Frisco and other niche varieties.
The price of the first batch of cherries transported by sea is only 20-30 yen lower than those transported by air. The price of high-quality products is still higher than that of cherries transported by air, but the freshness of cherries transported by sea cannot be compared to that of cherries transported by air. The first shipment of cherries by sea has a small volume, which has little impact on the market price of cherries transported by air.
According to industry reports, the quality of cherries shipped by air this year is uneven. Due to the fact that it rained a lot in the Chilean production areas before the cherry harvest, the taste of many varieties is not as good as in previous years.
Source: Más Producción
Image: Realidad Económica
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