Heavy rainfall in central Chile last week has delayed the start of the new blueberry and cherry seasons, pushing back the anticipated harvesting dates.
“There has been a partial impact on some crops (mainly cherries) and the harvesting of blueberries has been mostly delayed because growers have to wait until the fruit is ready to re-start the picking process,” Chilean fruit analyst Decofruit told Fruitnet.com.
Currently, most of Chile’s blueberry exports are being sent by airfreight meaning any delay should be negligible, Decofrut said.
Furthermore, weather conditions have been reportedly stable since the initial rainfall (with 25oC average temperatures), pointing towards little impact on volume.
According to the Chilean Blueberry Committee, the damage caused by the rainfall in the V Region to the south of Chile has been 'slight' (as they were not followed by frosts), although the initial export forecast for the south region is expected to slightly decrease.
Meanwhile, Decofrut said further rainfall is anticipated to hit the central zone towards the end of this week on Friday 19 November or Saturday 20 November.
Depending on the level of the downpour, Decofrut suggested the stonefruit and table grape harvests could also be affected.
