Argentine apple exports have registered an extraordinary increase during the first four months of 2020, coinciding with the worldwide expansion of COVID-19. According to statistical data from the Northern Patagonia Regional Center of the National Agricultural Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa), between January and April, the country exported a total of 181,000 tons of pears and more than 31,000 tons of apples.
During those months, the country sent 33,235 tons of pear and 10,967 tons of red apples to Brazil, the main export market for Argentine pome fruit (399% more than in January-April 2019).
In pears, the largest volume went to Russia (53,646 tons), which also increased between January and April compared to the same period of the previous year.
There are more than 38,000 hectares planted with pome fruits in Rio Negro and Neuquen. The North Patagonia region has 274 packaging facilities and 208 refrigerators for fresh fruit. An exhaustive sanitary and documentary control of the fruit is carried out in these facilities. Furthermore, the area has two phytosanitary reserves, one in Villa Regina, Rio Negro, and the other in Centenario, Neuquen.
Source: bariloche2000.com