Fruit market players expect the 2022/23 apple crop to register a slight yield increase compared to the previous campaign. However, fresh fruit exports dropped significantly in the first months of the year. Why?
According to government data, Brazilian apple shipments reached only 29 tonnes in February, 99% less compared to the same month last year. Revenue in dollars was US$ 74,000 (FOB), down 97% in the same period.
See below Brazil’s exports of apples (hs 080810) between Jan 2019 and Dec 2022. The data is from DataLiner.
According to agents consulted by Hortifruti/Cepea researchers, this occurred due to a delay in crop harvesting, which opened doors for imports and reduced national shipments. Still, with the low supply in Brazil, producers preferred to focus on the domestic market when the harvest started.
Despite this significant initial drop, Brazilian apple exports in 2023 are expected to be higher than the previous year due to increased harvest volume, particularly fruits of the gala variety.
For more information: datamarnews.com