Although Argentina is not a renowned producer of fruits such as blackberries, raspberries, cherries and strawberries, it has a significant production capacity. And with the changing international trade policies enforced by the current government, the export of these fruits could be encouraged. "Exporting has been complicated because of the actions of the previous government; the new one has already taken the first step, removing the export tax, and we believe exports will benefit from this, but it will be a long process. Our soft fruit could never compete with other large producers because of these asymmetries and the high labour costs compared to countries such as Poland and Serbia, which are the world's main producers and exporters," affirms Gisela Hoffmann, representative of Chacra la Piedad.
Argentina has several microclimates all across the country, so raspberries and blackberries can be harvested in different areas. "In this area of Patagonia, the harvest begins after spring (September), and we have a six month long harvest period, from November to late April. In the latest season, with the mild winter and cold spring, the harvest was reduced and less fruit was supplied to the market. We could conclude that the results were not ideal this season," states the spokesperson of the Argentinian company.
While over the last few weeks many Latin American countries have suffered the impact of weather changes, the Patagonia has not been affected by the continuous rainfall that has hit the north of the country. But prospects when it comes to soft fruit production remain uncertain. "The Patagonia, located 1,200 kilometres south of Buenos Aires, has not been troubled by rains during the harvest, but a radical climate change is underway, as well as a considerable increase of the moisture levels which could eventually cause the arrival of new pests. We could also be affected by volcanic ash, just like last year, when many bees died from it. We hope not to have these kind of mishaps this year," continued Hoffmann.
Also, the new government cabinet should offer incentives to improve the labour conditions in the agricultural sector. Young people currently prefer careers that offer greater salary benefits, so the workforce in the agricultural sector has been significantly reduced. "It is important to mention that the influx of new young workers is virtually non-existent. There are crops that can be handled on an industrial scale, but this is difficult to implement in small farms growing soft fruits, which need to be harvested by hand. Offering incentives to attract the new generations to agriculture would be a good step," concludes the spokesperson of Chacra la Piedad.
