Chile expects avocado production rise this season
Chilean avocado groves have overcome initial negative production estimates as a result of frost and low rainfall, with the national industry body now forecasting a 25% rise in volume. 
Chilean Hass Avocado Committee president Adolfo OchagavÃa told www.freshfruitportal.com many growers had still faced a difficult season, and the expected rise was mainly due to alternate bearing.
"Exports to the U.S.A. effectively started three weeks ago. From the 31 [of July] to Aug. 18, the amount shipped to this destination added up to 500 (metric) tons," he said.
"The production growth is mainly based on the alternate bearing of avocados, and not withstanding the above the potential at the start of the season was higher, but the low rainfall of this winter added to the effects of the frost in late July affected production, which is why we estimate it will just be 25% [higher]."
OchagavÃa said the most complicated production zones were Ovalle and its surroundings, and the province of Petorca due to water shortages.
He said the committee had spoken with growers in different growing areas about frost, who estimated that damages from the phenomenon stood at around 5-7% of the total crop.
"There are individual cases with much greater losses and zones that don't have damage."
He expected a harvest of between 200,000-210,000 metric tons (MT).
"Estimating how much will be exported is not easy as it depends on the relative price of different markets. A priori we believe that it will be distributed approximately 50-50 between export and the national market.
"Now with the exchange rate higher than in the last season that helps exports," he added.
The industry representative concluded on the positive changes made in Brazil for its imports of Chilean avocados.
"We are very happy with the reduction of phytosanitary restrictions for exporting Hass avocados to Brazil. The current regulation is adjusted to the processes undertaken by the industry to export to other destinations, so we hope shipments start this season and we will monitor their development.
"We also hope to promote our avocados a bit further. We want to present some competitive export promotion funding projects that are administered by Prochile, for execution in the 2014-15 season."
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