According to the Chilean blueberry Committee of asoex, Chile's blueberry exports totaled 117 tons in the 11th week of this year (March 15-21). Although there are still a few exports, the 2020 / 21 export season is basically over. This quarter set a new export record, with a total export of 118225 tons by the 11th week, an increase of 8.2% over the previous year and 6% over the original forecast of 111500 tons.
At the beginning of the production season, the export volume of Coquimbo and Valpara Ă so increased significantly, mainly due to the increase of planting area, variety change and improvement of production technology. At the same time, the northern and central regions benefit from a more abundant water supply in winter, giving producers affected by the drought in 2019 / 20 a chance to breathe. The South also benefited from the weather, avoiding heavy rain later in the production season.
Therefore, this season blueberry pulp is solid and the size is ideal. The maturity period is consistent with the normal year. However, the cumulative export volume of the whole month and January in December was lower than that of the same period of last year due to the shortage of recovery labor. After late January, the trend of the shipment volume has turned. The export volume of the third week (January 18-24) has been recorded in a new record, and since then, the weekly volume of shipments has been higher than that of the previous quarter. From the third week to the 11th week, exports increased 39 percent from the same period in the 2019/20 quarter.
The total export volume of fresh organic blueberries also set a new record, reaching 20,871 tons, an increase of 34% over the previous year and accounting for 18% of the total export volume. In terms of destination markets, North America maintained a 55% share this season, with sales increasing by 14%, maintaining a leading position; Europe accounted for 34%, an increase of 11%; Asia accounted for 10%, a decrease of 27%.