Chile’s clementine and mandarin output is forecast to rise by 30 per cent a year over the next few years, as demand for easy peelers continues to grow, especially in the US. By contrast orange production is expected to show only limited growth as producers switch from early to late-season Navels.
In 2016 Chile shipped around 3m cartons of clementines and 3.5m cartons of mandarins to the US, according to Juan Enrique Ortúzar, president of the Chilean Citrus Committee.
“The quality and timing of our offer are perfect for the US market. Clementines are harvested from May to July, followed by late season mandarins from August to October,” he says.
Ortúzar notes that producers are increasingly looking to extend their varietal offer, particularly during the latter stages of the season.
Chile is the main supplier of easy peelers to the US and has been slowly gaining market share since the start of the decade. Figures from the USDA show that Chile supplied 33 per cent of the US market’s total US easy peeler import volume in 2015, while Morocco and Peru second and third place with 24 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. All three countries have increased their market share, while Spain has seen its market share fall from 40 per cent in 2011 to 15 per cent last year.
Ortúzar says lemons exports are also set to rise by around 10 per cent a year over the next two years, after which volumes will probably stabilise.
In oranges, meanwhile, both Chile and South Africa have seen their share of the US market decline, while Mexico has seen its quota increase from 12 per cent in 2011 to 28 per cent in 2015.
A large part of Chile’s growth in the US is down to a sustained marketing campaign by the sector.
“This season we organised a number of competitions on social media, which were very well received by consumers,” says Karen Brux, director of marketing at the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association. “The campaign also featured in-store displays and tastings which not only allowed us to inform consumers about the availability and quality of Chilean citrus but also to strengthen our relationship with retailers.”
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