Exports up 16 per cent in the first two months of 2024 compared to year-earlier period

Argentina exported 7,300 tonnes of apples in the first two months of 2024, according to Más Producción. The figures represent a year-on-year increase of 16 per cent but are 9 per cent below the five-year average.

Red Delicious apples

The three top destinations for apple exports in this period were Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, which together accounted for 92 per cent of total shipments.

Exporters said two factors will be key to determining the evolution of Argentine apple exports for the current season: the strength of the domestic market and the exchange rate.

In the case of the first, they ruled out that there will be a recovery in consumption in the short term ­– at least until the end of the first semester.

The evolution of the exchange rate is also critical. “Today we already have a significant exchange delay, and the government announced that it is not going to devalue. This could undoubtedly affect external apple sales this season,” a key supplier told Más Producción.