Chilean table grape exporters are coming to the end of their campaign, which saw high prices in key Northern Hemisphere markets and a larger proportion of fruit shipped to the Far East.

Volumes are currently down 9% year-on-year at 686,000 metric tons (MT), according to market intelligence agency Decofrut.

While the U.S. continued to be the main destination with a 44% share, shipping volumes to the market decreased 13% over 2015. Conversely, exports to the Far East rose 8%, representing almost a third of total exports.

Around 18% of the volumes were shipped to Europe, with 7% going to Latin America.

According to Decofrut, the season had a slow start with limited early volumes, but saw prices far higher than last year.

During the campaign's first weeks in the U.S., Chilean grapes fetched prices more than 50% higher year-on-year. In Europe during this period prices were 30% higher, aided by lower volumes from South Africa.

Similarly, in the Far East Chilean seedless grape prices surpassed those of last season.

Prices in the U.S. for seedless varieties were in decline from mid-February until around week 14 when the supply switched to Thompson and Crimson Seedless.

However, heavy rains in Chile in the spring increased humidity in growing regions and caused condition problems with much of the fruit later in the campaign, slowing sales.

Difficulties for Chilean exporters were also felt during the latter part of the season in Europe, both due to condition problems and rising volumes from India.

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