Chilean exports of processed fruits and vegetables between January and February 2016 amounted to $204.4 million dollars, i.e. a 7.3% increase in value over the same period of 2015. The categories that recorded the most sales in this period were frozen exports (USD 73.98 million), canned products (USD 62.6 million) and dried products (USD 39.4 million).
These three categories account for 87% of the total value of exports of processed fruits and vegetables. They are followed by juices, which had sales for $20.3 million dollars, and oils, with sales for USD $7.3 million in the analyzed period.
When compared to the same period last year, canned and dehydrated exports increased in volume and value during January and February 2016. The percentage increase in value is lower than the increase in volume (39.7% versus 2.2%), indicating that there was a decrease in the average price of canned items. The same happened in the juice category, as there was an increase in the export value but a decrease in the respective value, when compared to the same period of 2015.
In the same period, imports of processed fruits and vegetable increased by 14.4% in volume and 10.2% in value compared to 2015, with purchases totaling 39,870 tons worth $50.4 millions dollars. Canned products represent more than half of the processed fruit and vegetable imports and their value during January and February 2016 amounted to USD 26.6 million, 0.7% more than in the same period of 2015. They were followed by juices and frozen products, which increased to USD 8.2 million and 7.5 million, respectively, with volumes close to 4,500 tons each.
After that are oils and dehydrated product imports, with purchases worth USD 4.5 million and USD 3.6 million, respectively, and 4,100 and 1,700 tons in volume, respectively. The only category that recorded a decrease in volume (8.1%) and value (15.4%) compared to the same period of 2015 were the dried product imports. Frozen imports had the biggest increase in these categories, as the volume and value experienced a 60% increase.
During the analyzed period, exports of frozen products decreased by 2% in value and 0.7% in volume over the same period of 2015, reaching USD 73.98 million and 24,000 tons. The average price in this category was 1.4% lower for the period, reaching USD 3.1 per kilo.
In terms of value, the main product exported during said period were the blueberries (USD 25.4 million), representing a third of all exported products in this category between January and February 2016. Blueberries were followed by raspberries (USD 12.3 million), blackberries (USD 10.9 million) and strawberries (USD 8.2 million). These four berries account for 77% of total sales of frozen products. There has been a sharp increase in sales of organic products for the last two years. Blackberry recorded the highest increase in the period analyzed, as it had a 73% increase in value and 83.6% in volume over the same period of 2015.
The main buyers of these fruits, both organic and conventional, were the United States and Canada.
The biggest decreases in this category, over the same period last year, correspond to the conventional blueberries (i.e. non-organic ones), and raspberries. Exports of conventional blueberries decreased by 18.1% in value and 23.7% in volume. Meanwhile raspberries decreased by 21.4% in value and 19.3% in volume. This product recorded sustained decreases between January and August 2015 and then the processed volume recovered up until December. So far in 2016 its export volume has decreased.
