Cranberries and cherries are the fruits that have increased their production and exports the most

Cranberries and cherries are the fruits that have increased their production and export the most

11/03/2015

An explosive growth has registered the planted area, production and export of cranberries and cherries in Chile, leading the rises among national fruits in the last decade, according to a report prepared by the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies (Odepa). This scenario has been marked, mainly, by the strong return that is obtained from these products. In the case of blueberry, US $ 5 per kilo is reached, despite the problems presented in the shipment of the fruit to the United States, as a consequence of the appearance of lobesia botrana.

In the case of cherry, the returns reach US $ 6,3 per kilo. Walnuts have also had a strong increase, which has been marked by good prices paid abroad, which reach US $ 8,9 per kilo.

The area planted with blueberries went from 1.360 hectares in 2005 to 14.506 hectares in 2014, which represents an increase of more than 1.000%. Production also increased in the period, but to a lesser extent, due to the fact that a large part of the surface increases occurred in recent years.

Fruit exports rose by 383%, totaling US $ 503,9 million in 2014. In general, it is exported between 60% and 70% of production, mainly to the United States and the Netherlands, according to the director of Odepa, Claudia Carbonell.

The area planted with cherries in Chile went from 7.125 hectares in 2005 to 16.932 hectares in 2013. The estimated production in 2014 is 101.033 tons, a figure that triples the 32 thousand tons of 2005.

The volume exported of fresh cherries during 2014 was 85.190 tons, 59% more than what was sent in 2013, and with a higher return 38%.

According to the figures given by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), of the Department of Agriculture of the United States, Chile is the second world exporter of cherries, slightly below the US, a country that plans to export 89 a thousand tons in this season.

Chile sends about 84% of the cherries it produces. In 2014, the 67% of national shipments of cherries went to the Chinese market, which before 2005 was practically non-existent, in addition to the increasing exports to Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Both the surface and the production of walnuts have also had an important growth between 2005 and 2013. The lands destined to this tree increased 153%, up to the 24.403 hectares. For 2014, an increase of 13,9% in exports is estimated, totaling US $ 321,6 million.

«It is a crop that apart from being profitable for the farmer, facilitates the commercialization of the product, due to its lower perishability compared to other fruits«says Carbonell

The main destinations for Chilean nuts are Turkey, Italy and Brazil.

US $ 4.773 million would be exported in fresh fruit this year. This would represent a growth of 8,6% with respect to the totalized in 2014, according to Fedefruta estimates.

Source: Economy and Business