Uruguay: Cranberry and citrus production showed a recovery
In the last 4-5 years, the blueberry and citrus sectors of Uruguay are going through an important process of transformation and productivity improvements.
In the framework of the virtual talks of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay (MGAP), Ec. Maria Eugenia Silva, analyzed the situation and prospects of the production of the two sectors. Both items were analyzed jointly since they generate certain synergies and have elements in common, such as the actors involved in the chains, are geographically close and direct their production to international markets.
Silva explained that, the blueberries in their initial phase occupied a few 900 hectares, however during the last time they went through a process of concentration of the surface -with some 400 hectares at present-, and of reconversion of varieties to adapt better to the international demands, maintaining a level of production of 2 thousand tons.
In the case of citriculture -ubrub that exports approximately 50% of its production-, Silva highlighted the execution of the Citriculture Strategic Plan, formulated jointly with public and private actors, which aims to generate international insertion and achieve competitiveness on the basis of genetics and health.
In the 2013 / 2014 harvest, the production of blueberries and citrus in Uruguay showed a recovery of 20%. In the case of blueberries, the production reached 2.200 tons, while in citrus the figure was 300 thousand tons, where 150 thousand tons correspond to oranges, 110 thousand to mandarins, 30 thousand to lemons and the rest to grapefruit.
"The previous harvest had had a low level of production as a result of the frosts that affected production, but in the 2013 / 2014 harvest it returned to relatively more normal levels"Said Silva.
In turn, he indicated that the recovery of production was also reflected in an improvement in exports, both in volume and dollars.
"Exports of citrus fruits reached 150 thousand tons with a rise of 9% in volume, but an even higher increase in dollars of 25%, totaling about US $ 92 million, which also speaks of an improvement in sales prices", He explained.
"In the case of blueberries, volumes increase by 19%, exceeding 2 thousand tons, also increases the value with about US $ 20 million, but what we see there is a price reduction"He added.
Silva explained that in citrus there is an improvement in prices when the export basket is observed as a whole, with an increase of 7% for the three main species, however the evolution within each species has been mixed.
"The lemons led the price improvement of the hand of a diversification of their exports, with a dynamism in the markets of less weight in the set of the exports but that offer very attractive values. In the case of oranges and tangerines, the values tended to remain relatively stable or with some adjustment to the downside".
In the case of blueberries, the sales prices showed reductions in the order of 5-7%, depending on the varieties considered.
Another factor that has affected both sectors are the destinations to which exports have been oriented.
In the case of citrus, 2014 began to reflect a greater diversification of export destinations. Although, the European Union continues being the main market for the citrus fruit with more than half of the exports, Silva indicated that this one "has lost weight between 2013 and 2014, mainly due to the entrance of exports to the US.".
"The opening of the North American market had a significant impact in terms of the agreed amount and, above all, paid values"He said.
"At the same time, a greater presence [of citrus fruits] was achieved in non-traditional markets, which went from representing an 7% of the total exported in 2013 to an 12% of the total exported in 2014"He added.
According to Silva, the entrance of citrus fruits to the US It generated a greater incentive to investment, innovation, varietal adaptation and the reconversion of the sector to achieve a better commercial insertion.
"In the short term, less productive areas are replaced by others with higher productivity with new varieties. In the short term it is not possible to know if we are going to see an increase in production or not, but in the long term we will surely see an improvement in productivity, which ends up being channeled through higher exports and higher value markets"He said.
"The challenges are to continue consolidating this greater diversification of exports, taking advantage of the markets that are already open, accompanied also with processes of opening new markets"He concluded.
Source: PortalFrutícola
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