The US is reportedly set to receive a large growth in citrus exports from Chile this year, following the opening up of the market to oranges and grapefruit from the South American nation.
Chile is planning to ship some 1.5m cartons of citrus to the US during 2010, compared with 400,000 cartons in 2009, according to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
The move is expected to have an impact on Australian citrus suppliers, who supply the US market during a similar export window as Chile.
“I think we’ll probably cut back regardless of the lighter crop, but we may not,” Peter Walker, chair of Riversun Exports, which coordinates Australia’s citrus export programme, told ABC.
“It may be the right crop, the right size, and all go to America. I don’t know. It depends what the exporters want to do.”
