The adverse spring weather in Chile has cast a shadow over the country’s table grape, stonefruit, blueberry, kiwifruit, apple and pear seasons in 2009/10, with export shortfalls expected across most of the board, according to industry representatives.
Total grape exports are estimated to fall to 785,704 tonnes in 2009/10, according to figures compiled during week 49 by Santiago-based fruit consultancy and services provider Decofrut.
Of that total, the group expects the Perlette crop will account for 4,015 tonnes, Flame Seedless 100,257 tonnes, Sugraone 51,567 tonnes, Red Globe 181,615 tonnes, Crimson Seedless 154,516 tonnes, Thompson Seedless 209,138 tonnes and other varieties 84,595 tonnes.
The decline in volume is attributable to a combination of issues, Decofrut told Fruitnet.com, including inclement weather, delayed harvests, rising production and labour costs, plus the impact of an unfavourable US dollar/Chilean peso exchange rate.
Further estimate revisions have also been released for Chile’s 2009/10 cherry and stonefruit crops, following back-to-back days of cold and humid weather, coupled with strong winds, frosts and hail.
Decofrut estimates that Chilean cherry exports will fall by as much as 22 per cent this season to approximately 29,881 tonnes, against 38,540 tonnes in 2008/09.
Within the stonefruit category, the plum crop has been most damaged in terms of production, Decofrut told Fruitnet.com, leading the group to anticipate a 32 per cent decrease in shipments to roughly 65,767 tonnes in comparison to 2008/09.
Nectarine volume will also fall by 12 per cent to 51,084 tonnes, peaches to 37,816 tonnes (-14 per cent), while apricot sending will contract by 20 per cent to 2,135 tonnes.
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