Complicated marketing conditions in Europe marked the performance of Chile’s fresh fruit export deal last season, following a slump in consumption brought on by the recession.
Despite a 3.7 per cent and 8.1 per cent growth in the country’s table grape and plum exports, shipments of Chilean apples and nectarines both fell during 2008/09, according to data from the Chilean Fruit Market Intelligence System (Simfruit).
Demand for table grapes fell by 16 per cent in Europe last season, Simfruit said, while overall Chilean apple exports to Europe fell by 15 per cent.
After the US, Europe is Chile’s second-largest fruit export market, but, according to Manuel Alcaíno, chairman of Chilean fruit analysis group Decofrut, the fall in European demand is only temporary.
“The impact of the financial crisis on consumer demand was much stronger in the Continent than in other markets,” he explained. “Furthermore, the weakening of the euro against the dollar was another important factor in the reduction of returns to growers last season.”
Although still too early to make definitive forecasts for 2009/10, Mr Alcaíno suggested that this season should be better given the recent signs of recovery on the market.
