Posts Tagged “Chilean stone fruit”
The Frutas de Chile Stone Fruit Committee has released a new estimate for this season, including Nectarines, Japanese Plums, European Plums, and Peaches. Forty-four companies, representing 84% of Chile’s global stone fruit exports last season, contributed to the estimate.
The stone fruit industry projects total overall exports of 35,330,388 boxes, a 15% increase over last season. Estimates for specific categories are as follows:
Nectarines
- 11.5 million 8 kg boxes; 13% growth from last season.
- Strong growth in white-flesh nectarines; projected increase of 26%, representing 60% of total nectarine volume.
- Yellow-flesh nectarine volume expected to decline by two percent, reaching 40% of total nectarine volume.
Japanese Plums
- 13 million 7 kg equivalent boxes; 16% growth from last season.
- Red plums are expected to grow by seven percent and black plums by fifteen percent.
European Plums – Sugar Plums – D’Agen (exported primarily to Asia):
- 8 million 9 kg boxes; 23% growth from last season.
Peaches
- 2.8 million 8 kg boxes, a decrease of one percent compared to last season.
The Stone Fruit Committee just launched a retail-focused marketing campaign in the U.S., working with retailers nationwide to drive sales of nectarines and plums. Comments Karen Brux, North America Managing Director of Frutas de Chile, “There are significant opportunities for retailers to build winter stone fruit sales. We’re developing in-store radio ads, demo programs, digital coupons, online videos, and other tactics to showcase nectarines and plums’ great flavor and nutrition.” Promotions are ongoing and will continue into April.
Imports of Chilean blueberries and stone fruit to the US are returning to seasonally normal volumes following a slow start.
Exports to the U.S. were close to their peak in the first half of February, with over 6,000 tons of Chilean blueberries shipped to the U.S. the last week of January. This was a new high. So the gap between this season’s volume and last year’s has rapidly diminished. Through early February, Chilean shipments to North America were down only 2 percent.
Chilean Stone Fruit
The Chilean stonefruit season also got off to a slow start, and the effects from that have rippled throughout the season due to weather issues. Fewer boats transporting Chilean nectarines and peaches have been arriving in the U.S., and their arrivals have been spaced out further than usual.
Now the challenges are more logistical than weather related as the volume of grapes is overtaking some of the stonefruit.
A couple of ships containing peaches and nectarines from Chile were supposed to arrive last week in Southern California. The second ship, scheduled to arrive at the end of the week, had its stonefruit cargo bumped to a later trip. So, instead of waiting three or four days between stonefruit arrivals, importers will have to wait about 10 days for the next shipment.
Port of Long Beach Chilean imports and Southern California citrus – grossing about $3500 to Dallas.
A Chilean port strike should not significantly affect Chilean grape shipments to North American ports such as Philadephia, Wilimington, NC and Long Beach, CA. However other imported Chilean produce items imported to the U.S. could feel the brunt of the strike more than grapes.
Workers seeking retroactive pay for half-hour lunch breaks began striking January 3 at Chile’s Port of San Antonio.
The port strike appartently is not affecting table grapes loaded in bulk reefers. However, containerized fruit loading at San Antonio and other container ports are being affected.
Strike or no strike, Chilean stone fruit shipments to the U.S. will likely be significantly lower this season. As of mid-January, estimates projected industry-wide losses of 64 percent for Chilean peaches, 59 percent for nectarines and 63 percent for plums.
Depending upon worldwide markets, fruit slated for other countries, could wind up in the U.S. instead. It is a 12-day voyage from Chile to the U.S. East Coast.
Depending on the variety, Chilean stone fruit losses will likely be in the 45-65 percent range this season. Losses were heaviest early in the deal, meaning volume should increase later in the season. While Chilean nectarine and plum import arrivals may pick up later in the season, peaches are more “ify.”
Losses as of January 13 were in the 30-60 percent range, depending on the commodity.