A new GAIN report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revealed that Argentina's apple production is forecast to increase considerably in 2009, up to 940,000 tonnes from 850,000 tonnes in 2008.
The increase is a result of higher yields resulting from favourable weather conditions in 2008, the report said, as well as new plantations entering production for the first time.
Exports are estimated to increase slightly to 250,000 tonnes this year, up from 235,738 tonnes in 2008, although this will be lower than initially expected due to the global economic climate, the devaluation of currencies in export markets (such as Brazil, Russia and the EU), larger Northern Hemisphere crops and the labour union conflict.
Pear production is expected to remain flat at 720,000 tonnes, but would have been higher were it not for 80,000 tonnes of fruit (including some apples) being lost after a labour dispute led to unharvested fruit.
A fall in pear exports is forecast for 2009, the USDA said, down to 450,000 tonnes from 463,809 tonnes last year, again hit by currency issues and the economic downturn.
Despite favourable weather conditions in 2008 that favoured blossoms, table grape production in 2009 is expected to drop considerably from 145,000 tonnes to 120,000 tonnes as a result of excess rain through the harvest season.
These lower yields, coupled with the economic situation, means that exports are forecast to fall from last year's total of 69,657 tonnes.
