Argentine apple and pear exports from January through April managed to notch a year-on-year increase, bucking a downward trend that both had been on for four years.

Apple exports rose 44% over the period from to 41,000MT, bringing them in line with 2016. Exports in 2015 and 2014 were registered at 43,000MT and 73,000MT respectively, according to the National Statistics Institute (INDEC).

Pear exports, meanwhile, rose by 8% to 193,000MT, also putting them on par with the same period in 2016. Exports of 206,000MT and 255,000MT were registered in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

By the end of April over the last four years, between 44-57% of each year's apple export total had been shipped, compared with 64-66% of pears.

During the first four months this year Argentine apple shippers significantly increased exports to their leading market, Russia, with volumes more than doubling to 10,000MT. Exports to Brazil also rose by 76% to 5,000MT, while they doubled to Germany and the Netherlands, at 4,000MT and 3,000MT respectively.

Russia was also the leading market for pear exports, and volumes to that market rose by 21% to 60,000MT. To Brazil they fell slightly, by 2% to 39,000MT, while to the U.S. they rose 2% to 33,000MT.

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