Posts Tagged “Chilean citrus exports”
The Chilean Citrus Committee estimates that global citrus exports from Chile will reach 383,000 tons this season, a 4% decline from 2023. According to the figures provided by the Committee, clementine and mandarin volumes will decline by 35% and 9% respectively. Oranges will decrease by two percent, with lemons increasing by 33%.
Peak citrus volumes in the U.S. will commence in June and continue through October.
The Committee forecasts clementine volume of 40,000 tons, which is 35% less than the 2023 season. States Monserrat Valenzuela, manager of the Citrus Committee, “This is a result of water restrictions in the main clementine-producing areas of the Coquimbo region (Region IV).” Of the 4,000 hectares of clementines planted in Chile, 70% of them are concentrated in Region IV.
Meanwhile, mandarin volume is expected to reach 160,000 tons, a decrease of 9% from last year. Orange volume will be similar to 2023, with a two percent decrease to 93,000 tons. The only category with anticipated growth is lemons, which is expected to grow by 33% to 90,000 tons.
Regarding the overall anticipated decrease of 4% for Chilean citrus exports this season, the president of the Citrus Committee, Juan Ortúzar, comments, “We are building an industry better adapted to climate change, with a strategy aimed at facing new production challenges, and with a focus on more sustainable production.”
There are 27,813 hectares of citrus orchards in Chile, distributed between the Atacama and O’Higgins regions. The Metropolitan Region has the largest planted area, reaching 8,361 hectares. As for the total planted area, lemons lead with 9,199 hectares nationwide, followed by mandarins with 7,800 hectares and oranges with 6,600.
A new report from the USDA predicts Chilean mandarins and lemon exports will increase for the 2023-24 season.
The USDA forecasts that Chilean lemon production will grow by 6.7% in 2023-24, while exports are expected to grow by 8.8%.
While Chilean orange production is expected to dip slightly, Chile’s mandarin area planted has grown rapidly over the past 10 marketing years due to high profits, the USDA report said. As a result, Chilean mandarin exports in 2023-24 are forecast to grow by 7.3%.
Chilean exporters are attempting to diversify their export markets beyond the U.S. In March 2023, Chile gained access to the Mexican market for lemons, clementines and mandarins under an inspection system that avoids fumigation, improving the quality conditions and increasing shelf life.
The report said Chilean lemon acreage for 2023-24 is forecast at 20,139 acres, up 1% from the previous season.
Lemon area planted in Chile grew from 14,606 acres in the marketing year 2016-17 to 19,968 acres in the marketing year 2022-23.
“In the Valparaiso and Coquimbo regions, citrus became a viable alternative to other crops such as avocado because of its high price and low water requirement,” the report said. “According to Post sources, Chilean lemon producers are currently focused on increasing productivity and yields by better managing water use and disease.”
The USDA forecasts Chilean lemon output to grow by 6.7% to 175,000 metric tons in 2023-24 due to the increase in area planted.
Most Chilean lemon exports occur between June and September, typically peaking in July or August, to Northern Hemisphere markets. The lemon production area spans from the Coquimbo region, in the north of the country, to the O’Higgins region in the central south, the report said. The Metropolitana region, in the central part of Chile, holds 41.1% of the lemon area planted, making it the top-producing region.
For the marketing year 2023-24, Chilean lemon exports will grow 8.8% and total 74,000 metric tons.
The USDA said more than 60% of Chilean lemon exports go to the U.S., making it the top market among export destinations.
Chilean orange production will dip by 2.2% and total 175,000 metric tons in 2023-24, the report said. Planted area for oranges in Chile declined 1% in the last year to 15,567 acres, according to the report.
Orange planted area has declined 15% from 18,258 acres in 2011-12 as producers shifted to mandarins and lemons because of their higher profitability, the report said. Chile’s Metropolitana region is still the top orange-producing region in Chile, holding 39.3% of the orange area planted, followed by the O’Higgins region, which holds 31.3% of the area planted.
Chilean orange exports will decrease by 5.5% and total 90,000 metric tons in 2023-24 compared with the previous year.
In Chile, the orange marketing year starts April with the beginning of the harvest season, with the report noting that the bulk of Chilean orange exports is between July and September each year and peaks around August.
The largest market for Chilean oranges is the U.S., which represented 93% of total exports in 2022-23, the report said.
Chilean mandarin/tangerine production in 2023-24 will increase by 7.1% and total 287,000 metric tons.
The USDA said the mandarin area planted has increased by nearly 2,500 acres per year and will reach nearly 30,000 acres in 2023-24.
“Due to high profits, mandarin area planted grew significantly in the past ten marketing years,” the report said. “Specifically, the W. Murcott variety became a viable alternative to replace other crops such as oranges or table grapes.”
The Coquimbo region is the top mandarin production region in Chile, holding 47.4% of the total acreage. The O’Higgins and the Valparaiso regions, in the central part of the country, hold 21.9% and 20.7% of the area planted, respectively.
Area planted in all mandarin-producing regions grew in the past three marketing years.
For 2023-24, the USDA projects that Chilean mandarin/tangerine exports will increase by 7.3% to 250,000 metric tons.
Chile exports mandarins from April until December, peaking around September.
The top export market for mandarins is the U.S., which receives 95% of Chilean mandarin exports.
Following the recent frosts and rains in Chile, the Citrus Committee of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) has revised its export projections for the 2023/24 season. The Committee estimates that Chile will export 348,000 tons of citrus, 30% more than last year, but three percent lower than the previous estimate made in May of 2023.
Comments Juan Enrique Ortúzar, president of the Chilean Citrus Committee, “The frost damage to citrus was quite limited, but there are some sectors of orchards that suffered damage, mainly in the O’Higgins region.”
Regarding the rains, Ortúzar assures that the effect on citrus, in general, is positive. “Even though harvesting had to be stopped for a few days, we now have a guarantee of some water supply for this winter when irrigation canals must be cleaned. There were some orchards that suffered flooding because they were in low-lying areas, but nothing major.”
The first estimates this April indicated an export volume for Clementines of 55,000 tons, 125,000 tons for mandarins, 95,000 tons for oranges, and 75,000 tons for lemons. In May, the Mandarin volume estimate was updated to 135,000 tons. The latest projection indicates a small increase in Clementine volume to 58,000 tons and a decrease for mandarins to 125,000 tons. The orange estimate remains unchanged, while lemons have decreased to 70,000 tons.
Manager of the Chilean Citrus Committee, Monserrat Valenzuela, points out that “the estimated volumes will always have some fluctuations due to external factors such as weather conditions, freight costs, logistics, market issues, etc.” She also emphasizes that the Citrus Committee is committed to “updating estimates throughout the season so that customers around the world can receive accurate, timely information and adjust their programs accordingly.”
The Committee has a work plan (frost action manual) to prevent the export of frost-damaged fruit. This includes the installation of thermographs in the orchards and the temporary suspension of harvesting in the affected orchards or sectors until the fruit is checked and it is confirmed that it complies with the corresponding export tolerances, says Valenzuela.
Volumes through week 25
As of Week 25, (Week of June 19), clementine exports had reached 51,474 tons, which is 76% more than the same period of the 2022 season. Mandarin shipments are just starting, with 59 tons exported so far this season. Chile has shipped 11,014 tons of oranges, 45% more than the same period last season. Lemons are the only category with a slight decrease in season-to-date shipments, with an exported volume of 14,287 tons, a five percent decrease from last year.
Chilean citrus production and exports should bounce back in a big way in 2023, a new USDA report predicts. Exports plummeted last season due to frost.
U.S. imports of Chilean citrus peak from May through November. Between November 2021 through October 2022, U.S. imports of Chilean citrus were valued at $328.5 million, down about 20% from the same period the previous year, USDA trade statistics reveal.
Chilean citrus yields in 2022 decreased due to frost during the winter in the Valparaíso, Metropolitana and O’Higgins regions. Because of the frost, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Santiago office estimated lemon production at 140,000 metric tons in the 2022 marketing season, down 30% from the previous season.
For 2023, the USDA report said Chilean lemon production should bounce back to 200,000 metric tons, assuming normal yields. Lemon acreage is estimated at 21,000 in Chile in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022 and up more than 40% from 2016.
In 2023, Chilean exports of lemons are expected to reach 100,000 metric tons, up from 60,000 metric tons in 2022. The lemon marketing year starts April, with the bulk of exports taking place between June and September. The U.S. is the top market for Chilean lemons, taking about 65,682 metric tons in 2021, or about 65% of total Chilean lemon exports.
Chilean orange production for 2023 will increase to 200,000 metric tons, up 22% from 164,000 metric tons in 2022, according to the report.
The report estimates Chilean orange planted area at 15,814 acres in 2023, up 0.5% from 2022. Central Chile is the main growing region for oranges, with the Metropolitana region accounting for 39.3% of the orange area planted and the O’Higgins region representing 31% of the orange area.
Chilean orange exports will reach total 105,000 metric tons in 2023, according to the report, up more than 20% from 2022, the report said. Chile’s orange marketing years starts in April, with the bulk of fruit shipped between July and September, the report said. The U.S. is the main export destination for Chilean oranges, the report said.
Mandarin citrus production in Chile will jump 39.4% in 2023 to 237,000 metric tons, according to the report. The planted area for mandarins was estimated at close to 33,400 acres in 2023, up from 27,600 acres in 2022.
Chile’s Citrus Comite of Asoex has provided updated export estimate for this season in the wake of a late May freeze event, with all categories set to see a decline and mandarins bearing the brunt.
The organization expects mandarin shipments to be 21 percent lower than originally estimated, at 95,000 tons down from 120,000 tons.
Clementines are set to experience the second-biggest drop, with exports forecast 13 percent lower at 34,800 tons down from 40,000.
Exports of oranges and lemons are both expected to be 8 percent down, with the former falling to 82,500 tons from 90,000 tons, and the latter dropping to 78,000 from 85,000.
In total, Chilean citrus shipments during the 2022 season are now forecast 13 percent lower than originally estimated, according to the Citrus Committee, which represents about 75 percent of the country’s exporters.
“During this season there was a significant frost,” it said in a statement. “The low temperatures affected different growing areas, but the extent of the phenomenon was limited, affecting only some valleys and sectors within the affected orchards.”
The association has called on exports to implement the work plan established to deal with these situations to prevent the export of freeze-damaged fruit.
“The Chilean industry is prepared and has the technology and technical capacity to separate fruit that is damaged both in the field and in packing, thus avoiding packing and export. These measures have already been applied in previous seasons with very good results,” the Citrus Committee said.
The Chilean citrus season kicked off in mid-April when the first shipment of clementines set sail for the U.S. market.
Chile will supply clementines, mandarins, navels and lemons to the U.S. market, with promotional support starting in June and continuing through October, according to a news release.
The current total Chilean Citrus forecast across categories is as follows:
- Clementines: 45,000 tons
- Mandarins: 120,000 tons
- Navels: 90,000 tons
- Lemons: 90,000 tons
Logistical and climatic issues have impacted overall volume, resulting in an anticipated 12% decrease from 2021. Nonetheless, Juan Enrique Ortuzar, president of the Chilean Citrus Committee, remains optimistic about the industry’s future.
“We are facing a challenging season in many respects, but citrus has grown into an incredibly strong, year-round category,” Ortuzar said in the release. “Chilean citrus volume has increased by 25% over the past five years. With our quality proposition, we believe there will continue to be growth opportunities.”
The U.S. received 88% of all Chilean citrus exports in 2021, with 97% of clementines and mandarins shipped to the U.S. Volume will be lower this year, especially for clementines, where a volume decrease of 35% is anticipated, but the U.S. will continue to receive the majority of Chilean citrus exports. To support this volume, the Citrus Committee is finalizing a robust marketing campaign that will help build demand and drive sales at the retail level.
Several factors are expected in a significant drop in Chilean citrus exports, most of which typically are bound for the U.S. Among the challenges this season because there are the
increasing cost of logistics, which have practically doubled. Added to this are the problems arising from COVID. In the Chinese market there are still many restrictions, and although in other countries they have been decreasing, Chile is still facing the consequences of the pandemic. And last, but not least, is the drought that has been dragging on in Chile for more than a decade.
Clementines will be the most affected, for this season an export volume of 45,000 tons is expected, which represents a 35 percent decrease when compared to 2021, due to the drought in Chile.
The U.S. received 88 percent of all Chilean citrus exports in 2021, with 97 percent of clementines and mandarins shipped to the U.S.
In the case of mandarins that are later, the The Chilean Citrus Committee projects a season not very different from the previous one, and although it is not growing much in volume, there are new plantations, so it is estimated that it will reach 120,000 tons this year, 5 percent less than the previous season.
With lemons, it is a little early to provide precise estimates, however, a volume of 90,000 tons is currently projected, which is equivalent to 11 percent less than the previous season.
For oranges, an export volume of 90,000 tons is projected, which would represent 13 percent less when compared to 2021.
With Chilean clementines and lemons already in market, and navels and mandarins on the way, the Chilean Citrus Committee of ASOEX has released an updated season forecast.
Clementine volumes, originally expected to increase by seven percent to 55,000 tons, are now projected to jump to 59,000 tons, a 14% increase over 2020. Export volumes of lemons, navels and mandarins remain in line with the first 2021 forecast (98,000, 89,000 and 145,000 tons, respectively). With a total citrus forecast of 391,000 tons, Chile expects to ship roughly 85% of all volume to the U.S. market.
As of early July, Chile had exported 8,142 tons (519,369 boxes) of clementines, totaling 40,040 tons (2,541,962 boxes), up 11% over same time last season, with 98% of the volume being sent to the U.S. (39,392 tons; 2,500,892 boxes). Of the volume shipped to the U.S., 69% was destined for the East Coast (27,315 tons; 1,736,608 boxes) and 31% for the West Coast (12,077 tons; 764,284 boxes).
Navel shipments are steadily increasing, with the largest week of exports was expected in the 2nd week of July. Chile shipped a total of 6,595 tons of navels the previous week, with 5,534 tons (84%) destined for North America. Lemon exports have also been steady and strong, with 11,476 tons (52%) heading to North America. The first mandarin shipments were recorded in early July, with the entire volume (140 tons/8,767 boxes) destined for the U.S.
Good Chilean Citrus volume will continue through October.
The Chilean clementine export season has been launched with expectations of growth over last year, according to the Citrus Committee of the Fruit Exporters’ Association (Asoex).
A 7 percent increase of exports over 2020 is forecast with 55,000 metric tons (MT) for this season.
The first shipments left during first week of April, with 573MT of the Clemenules, Orogrande and Oronules varieties having been exported by the 3rd week of April. This compares to 1,503MT that had been exported by the same period last year.
Clementines and lemons were the first to start, with oranges following soon.
Dry weather was report with little rains, making for a smooth start to the harvests. Although the first shipments of clementines were lower than last season, it was too early to establish any change in the estimates for the period.
The primary destination for Chilean citrus exports is the U.S., accounting for about 85% of total shipments. It is followed by the Far East and Europe, which represent 9% and 3% respectively. There are also sales to Canada, Latin America and the Middle East.
In the total citrus category, Chile in March predicted a 6 percent increase over last season. The biggest rise will be for mandarins with an increase of 11 percent over a year ago, followed by clementines with 7 percent growth. Lemons are expected to see a 3 percent increase, while oranges will stay the same.
A 6 percent increase in the volume of Chilean citrus exports for the 2021 season is expected by the Asoex Committee. The estimated total shipping volume is 387,000 metric tons (MT).
The greatest increase will be for mandarins with an increase of 11 percent over last year, followed by clementines with 7 percent growth. Lemons are expected to see a 3 percent increase, while oranges will remain unchanged.
The growth in citrus exports is due to the increase in plantations during the last decade, according to the press release.
“In total there are 22,230 hectares planted, of which 8,427 correspond to mandarin plantations, 7,376 hectares of lemons, 6,260 of oranges and 167 of grapefruit,” Juan Enrique Ortúzar President of Asoex said.
The export volume of clementines is expected at 55,000MT, while mandarins are predicted to be 145,000MT.
Regarding lemons, 98,000MT is expected for this year, and oranges will maintain export numbers from last season, with shipments of 89,000MT
Ortúzar said that the favorable predictions are due to more rains in the central zone of Chile last year and the water reservoirs in Norte Chico.
U.S. is Main Market
The U.S. is the primary destination for Chilean citrus, receiving about 85 percent of total shipments. It is followed by the Far East and Europe, which account for about 9 percent and 3 percent, respectively.
After these markets, Canada, Latin America and the Middle East follow.
As for China, the market opened the doors to citrus last year with total shipments reaching 1,031MT of mandarins, 404MT of oranges, 46MT of clementines and 5,650MT of lemons.