Uruguay’s 2023 citrus season, which started with a delay, has seen lower volumes amidst good early demand from their leading US, European and other markets. The dry and hotter winter weather across large parts of South America impacted Uruguay’s citrus sector too, hence the lower volumes says Marta Bentancur, from the Union of Fruit Producers and Exporters of Uruguay (UPEFRUY).
“In Uruguay, we are having a good citrus season in respect of quality and size but we are short on volumes, due to the drought and variety changing,” states Bentancur.
Their harvest was delayed at the start due to warmer night temperatures that affected the colouration of fruit with the degreening process taking longer. Despite the delayed start, Uruguay entered a relatively empty market. This was due to lower volumes from South Africa due to early rain and the harsher steri-protocol demanded by the EU from the largest citrus exporter to the block. Spain, which had lower volumes due to the drought also finished earlier with both countries leaving the gap for Uruguay and other supplying countries to fill.
Bentancur says they are glad to have lower shipping rates this season after a few years of extremely high rates caused by the pandemic. This offsets the lower than estimated volumes. “Transport costs have gone down significantly, between around -25-30% to US and -40% to Europe,” confirms Bentancur.
Last year’s Uruguayan lemons exports was 13,600 tons, while orange exports was 21,000 tons. The mandarins exports was 38,000 tons. Upefruy, estimate they will end the 2023 season in line with these figures in a few months’ time. “Luckily we will arrive at the same volumes than in 2022, which was already a low-season. Our season will end in Europe on 15 October. However, we can go on supplying other markets outside the EU for a while until November,” concludes Bentancur.
For more information:
Marta Bentancur
UPEFRUY
Tel: +598 2916 0635
Email: [email protected]
www.uruguayfruits.com.uy