Harvest situation in the Southern Hemisphere, week 47

Cherries

The harvest of early varieties in Chile is finished, and in several areas near Rancagua the harvesting of Bing began, showing few quality problems. That is in contrast with the early varieties that have had variable quality--a result of rain at the beginning of November--which has been reflected in the prices in the main market, the United States.

The majority of shipments of Chilean cherries have been by air, and as of week 46, totaled 2,100 tons. That’s three times more than the average volume exported in the last three seasons, which is in line with seasonal estimates from iQonsulting.

In Argentina, the harvest of cherries has accelerated as a result of a rise in temperatures. In Mendoza, the harvest has headed toward the south and to Neuquén. Exports also are showing an increase, reaching 55 metric tons as of week 46, mainly in the Brazilian and English markets.

Table grapes

In Brazil, the harvest is scheduled to end this week in Valle de San Francisco with Crimson and limited volumes of Red Globe and Italia.

In Peru the harvest in Piura and Ica remains stable, with progress at around 50% and 10%, respectively. It is expected that from week 51, exports of Red Globe will increase considerably, especially to the Asian market.

In South Africa, the grape harvest is about seven days early and volumes in the early areas have joined the harvest in the areas near the Orange and Olifants Rivers. The volumes of Prime and Sugraone are expected to be less than last year in all production zones, while the other varieties are posting good amounts. Exports are focused on Continental Europe and the United Kingdom as usual, totaling almost 1,000 metric tons in week 45.

In Argentina and Chile, the harvest just started at the end of last week, and in both cases, the development has been slow. In Copiapó, in northern Chile, the harvest is concentrated in Perlette. The first ship for the East Coast of the United States will set sail on Dec. 4 or 5 from Caldera. Considering the progress of the season, it is expected that only one boat will arrive for Christmas sales on the East Coast. A second boat headed to Los Angeles will leave around Dec. 6.

In Argentina, the Imperial harvest started in the areas near San Juan, and the quality of the fruit is optimal.

Source: iQonsulting/www.freshfruitportal.com