Argentina is forecast to export fewer apples and pears to Europe and more to Russia and Latin America this season as high local topfruit stocks curb import demand across the European Union.
The South American supplier is also anticipating a smaller-than-normal output following late frosts and a cool spring which continued into early summer.
Fruit analyst Top Info Marketing predicts pear production will fall by 23 per cent against 2009 to 523,000 tonnes, and apples by 15 per cent to 652,000 tonnes.
“Argentina is expecting one of its smallest topfruit crops in years,” Betina Ernst of Top Info Marketing told Fruitnet.com.
“Bearing this in mind, as well as the high volume of apple and pear stocks in Europe and the low prices at the moment, we expect shipments to Europe will be smaller than in previous years.
“Argentina also has a large internal market for apples, so with the shortage in volume we can expect attractive local prices for fruit. This season, Argentina can only expect to ship a similar or higher volume than last year to Brazil and Russia.”
