Core Reminder: The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released the "Chilean Stone Fruit Annual Report", which shows that the planting area of Chilean cherries reached 61599 hectares in the 2022/23 production season. It is expected that Chile's production will reach 500000 tons in the 2023/24 season, an increase of 6.6% compared to the 2022/23 season; Cherry exports will reach 444000 tons, an increase of 7.2%.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released the "Chilean Stone Fruit Annual Report", which shows that the planting area of Chilean cherries reached 61599 hectares in the 2022/23 production season. It is expected that Chile's production will reach 500000 tons in the 2023/24 season, an increase of 6.6% compared to the 2022/23 season; Cherry exports will reach 444000 tons, an increase of 7.2%.
At present, the cherry planting area in Chile is still increasing, reaching 61599 hectares in the 2022/23 season, an increase of 25.7% compared to the 2021/22 season. However, the estimated harvest area for the 2022/23 season is 50000 hectares. It is expected that the planting area of Chilean cherries will increase to 64000 hectares and the harvesting area will increase to 55000 hectares in the 2023/24 season. Due to the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture updating official planting area data every three years, the data for the 2022/23 season showed a significant increase in a single year.
According to data from the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture, the cherry planting area in the Maule region is 27818 hectares, accounting for 45.2% of the total planting area, making it the largest production area in Chile. The O'Higgins region in the central region has a planting area of 22966 hectares, accounting for 37.3% of the total planting area.
The Maule and Oshkins regions have sufficient irrigation water, with sufficient low temperature periods in winter and frost free spring, providing ideal conditions for cherry growth. However, during the harvest seasons of December and January, the risk of rainfall affecting the Maule region is higher. Chilean cherry growers usually use rain shelters to avoid potential damage to the fruits caused by rainfall. All regions in southern Chile, such as Niuule, Biob í o, Araucan í a, and Los Lagos, also have a high risk of being affected by rainfall during the harvest season from November to February each year.
The main cherry varieties produced in Chile are Santina, Lapins, and Regina, but Chile also produces other varieties such as Bing, Sweetheart, Rainier, Royal Dawn, Skeena, and Kordia.
Due to the increase in planting area and the production of newly established orchards, the total yield of Chilean cherries continues to increase year by year, breaking previous production records every year. In the 2022/23 season, high production pushed the total cherry production to 469000 tons, an increase of 20.3% compared to the previous season. The planting area for the 2023/24 season is expected to continue to increase. Assuming the yield is at normal levels, the total cherry yield is expected to be 500000 tons, an increase of 6.6% compared to the 2022/23 season.
The total export volume of Chilean cherries in the 2022/23 season was 414064 tons, an increase of 16.5% compared to the 2021/22 season, and the export volume increased by 16.4% during the same period, reaching 2.2 billion US dollars. The increase in production will continue to drive export growth, and it is expected that cherry exports in the 2023/24 season will increase by 7.2% compared to the 2022/23 season, reaching 444000 tons.
China is the largest market for Chilean cherries. Chile's cherry exports to China in the 2020/21 season were 362793 tons, accounting for 87.6% of its total cherry exports. The second largest market is the United States, with an export volume of 17727 tons, accounting for 4.9% of its total fresh cherry exports. Chilean exporters are trying to diversify their export market, resulting in a 34.6% increase in Chilean cherry exports to the United States.
The shipment and logistics of cherries in the 2022/23 season are smoother than the previous season. By adopting faster ships, transportation costs have been reduced, while the time required for transportation to China has also been further optimized. Cherry exporters hope that logistics and transportation conditions can return to normal in the 2023/24 season.
The main challenge faced by the Chilean cherry export industry is to continue providing high-quality cherries to maintain high prices for Chilean exports. This is becoming increasingly difficult for the Chilean cherry industry, as production is growing rapidly every year. Through cooperation with producers and exporters, the Chilean export industry is striving to maintain high standards of cherry quality.
