Fresh fruit exports from Brazil have kicked off the year in a positive fashion, with the first quarter (Q1) comparing favourably to the relatively weak year experienced in 2009.
Fruit volumes shipped until the end of March totalled 113,000 tonnes, an increase of 0.6 per cent against the same period last year.
Despite overall volumes increasing only slightly year-on-year, many categories enjoyed an improved performance. Mango exports jumped by 12 per cent through the quarter, while lime shipments grew 11 per cent and melon exports rose 10 per cent compared with Q1 2009.
Exports to the US increased by 130 per cent, Ibraf said, mainly as a result of larger mango and apple volumes, although European sales dropped 2.24 per cent against the previous year.
The Middle East, meanwhile, increased its purchase of Brazilian fruit by 30 per cent, with the main export markets including the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
The fruit mainly responsible for this performance was apples, with 4,000 tonnes shipped to the region, an increase of 60 per cent on 2009.
Despite these countries representing only 2.85 per cent of Brazil's fresh fruit exports and 1.16 per cent of processed fruit shipments, 'there is a high tendency to increase in case the Brazilian companies start to invest in this market', said Valeska de Oliveira, executive manager of Ibraf.
'Some Arab countries like the Emirates and Saudi Arabia are part of the target markets on the next international marketing project executed in partnership with Apex-Brasil, due to the increase in demand from these countries for fresh and processed fruits such as pulp and nuts,' he added.
