The Chilean lemon industry is anticipating a slight decrease in exports this year to 43,422 tonnes, down 3 per cent on 2010, fruit analyst Decofrut told Fruitnet.com.
The main causes for the dip in volume is the strengthening of Chile’s local market in recent seasons, which has provided liquidity and greater stability for producers, particularly in view of the poor exchange rate between the Chilean peso and the US dollar.
In addition, the country’s full production potential has been restricted this year by a water shortage between regions IV and V, which is keeping a lid on volume, Decofrut said.
The start of the season, meanwhile, will be delayed slightly, mainly due to suppliers looking to target the higher consumption and price rates around the Easter holiday, which takes place later this year in week 16 (the third week of April).
Export-wise, Decofrut suggests markets including Europe and Argentina may receive fewer lemons from Chile in 2011, given the competition from Argentina, whose export crop is forecast to rebound by 28 per cent.
Shipments to Asia are also likely to decline, according to Decofrut, given the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan – one of Chile’s main lemon export destinations.
The full report will be published in Eurofruit Magazine and Asiafruit Magazine’s May issues and Americafruit Magazine's June/July issue.
