Chilean fresh fruit exports have risen by 7.2 per cent for the year to 1 September 2011 according to Chile’s national fruit export association Asoex. There were large gains across most categories as crops recovered from inclement weather which dogged many lines in the 2009-10 campaign.
Sendings increased to 2.64m tonnes, compared with 2.46mt during the previous season, and once again table grapes topped the rankings as the leading fruit export item, as volume grew 6.7 per cent to 852,591t.
Cherry exports climbed 73.2 per cent and blueberry sendings climbed 39.6 per cent while plum sendings by 36.8 per cent.
Asoex president Ronald Bown said growth was down to increased output almost all categories apart from declines in avocados (-36.1 per cent) and lemons (-8.6 per cent).
Apples were in second place behind grapes in volume and accounted for 32 per cent of exports and growth of 6.2 per cent against the previous season.
Overall the UK and rest of Europe’s share of Chile’s fruit exports rose only slightly by 0.6 per cent compared to big gains for Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern markets.
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