The Chilean Fruit Producers Federation (Fedefruta) has reported cherry exporters received the highest returns in five years this recent season, thanks mainly to soaring foreign demand for the high quality fruit. 

According to Fedefruta, in the third week of 2014 alone cherry producers exported 474,000 boxes at a price of US$7.15 per kilo - a 75% year-on-year increase.

Chilean cherry exports also grew by 32% this year, reaching a record 14.65 million boxes, despite the severe frosts that affected fruit growers throughout the country last year.

Fedefruta said fruit was of an excellent quality this past season as a result of good weather conditions that favored its development over November and December.

Three out of four boxes were sent to Asia, while North America received 13% of the total.

A Fedefruta representative did say, however, that each producer's situation depended greatly on the exporting agent used, and other factors affecting financial returns came into play like the target market, shipping date, fruit size and quality.

"While Fedefruta analysis reveals excellent returns, we have seen large differences in what the exporters have paid to the fruit growers, and so this analysis will prove very useful for growers when hiring an export service," Fedefruta study manager Alfredo Garcia said.

"That's why we are inviting all growers to come to us for a review of the management of export they hired."

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