The Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile (Fedefruta) has raised an alert about a possible reduction in cherry export projections due to the drop in fruit. “The projections made so far may need to be reduced,” stated the association in its report.
The alert is based on a survey conducted among cherry growers in different regions of the country. All have observed a notable fruit drop. In this regard, Fedefruta emphasized that this situation is a recurring issue reported by the consulted producers.
"We decided to raise this alert due to concerns about export management and the expected volumes, which may now be compromised,” explained Fedefruta.
The experts from the federation specified that despite favorable flowering, pollination, and climate, a fruit drop is being observed, especially in the Regina variety. “Even the Santina variety, although it is earlier, continues to fall,” they said. Other affected varieties include Royal Dawn and Lapins.
Although the specific cause is not yet known, Fedefruta points to several possible factors. “It could be due to a pattern, the area, the microclimate, or related to a varietal issue and agronomic management,” the experts commented. According to them, the fruit drop could be part of a natural load adjustment.
One of the producers consulted revealed an initial forecast of 8 million kilos of cherries in one of the early varieties but warned that the final harvest will be much lower. Fedefruta highlighted that this cherry phenomenon is putting export plans for this season to the test and stated that they will continue to monitor the situation.
Source: BioBioChile
Image: Mundoagro
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