As the 2011/12 Chilean blueberry season nears its end, total accumulated exports are lagging behind both last year’s results as well as the forecast for this campaign.
The Chilean Blueberry Committee had originally projected another record 78,000-tonne crop for 2011/12, against 69,634 tonnes last year.
However, with 95 per cent of harvesting complete, sendings up to week 10 have only reached 67,215 tonnes, down from 67,351 tonnes in 2010/11.
According to the committee’s latest crop report, at this point in the campaign, shipments were estimated to have reached 69,380 tonnes.
The shortfall has been attributed to rains during week nine, mainly in the south zone of the country, which has resulted in damage to fruit quality, leading to a fall in exports.
With exports decreasing every week and picking due to wind down over the next couple of weeks, it looks unlikely that sendings will meet the original estimate, particularly as further rain is forecast for week 11.
