W11: Weekly Stone Fruit Update
Nectarine
Chile: Nectarine Shortages Caused the Price Increase in the Guangzhou Market During W11
The selling prices of Chilean nectarines are increasing due to the shortages in the Guangzhou market in W11. The selling prices for March 12, 2023 stood as follows:
- 40&44 pieces: USD 39.29-40.75/9kg (RMB 270-280/9kg)
- 56 pieces: USD 36.38-37.84/9kg (RMB 250-260/9kg)
- 60&68 pieces: USD 34.93-36.38/9kg (RMB 240-250/9kg)
Even though the selling prices are high, the customer demand is still good as they are eager to buy a bigger size of nectarines (40-56 pieces).
Chile: Price of Nectarines Increases From W8 to W11 Due to High Demand
The price of Chilean nectarines has increased for sizes 36-40 pieces from USD 29.13-30.59/9kg (RMB 200-210/9kg) on W8 to USD 39.33-40.79/9kg (RMB 270-280/9kg) on W11 in the Chinese market. Also, the price for sizes 44-52 pieces has increased from USD 26.22-27.68/9kg (RMB 180-190/9kg) to USD 36.42-37.87/9kg (RMB 250-260/9kg). The demand for nectarines is high and even if there is a high supply of nectarines arriving on the wholesale market, most containers may already be sold out when the store opens for business.
Turkey: Full Bloom of Stone Fruits in Turkiye Indicates Good Production in 2023
Turkish early stone fruit varieties will start to bear fruit in about 1 month towards the end of April 2023. Considering the current full bloom situation of peaches, nectarines, and apricot flowers in W10, 2023 is expected to be a year in which the stone fruit products will be abundant if there is no frost.
Peach
Italy: Fruit Drives the 2022 Italian Exports; Peaches and Nectarines Export Increased by 43% YoY
Italian fruit and vegetable exports bounced back in 2022, ending the year with a positive value of USD 5.70B an increase of 1.5% YoY, while volumes fell slightly by -.4% from 2021 to 2022. Fresh fruit contributed USD 3.01B, or a 6.3% YoY increase in exports. This is primarily attributable to good nectarines and peaches, whose export value increased by 43.5% as a result of a poor season in Spain.
Plum
Chile: Exports From Chile to Brazil Rise More Than 20% And Total USD 2B in 2022
Brazil, Chile's primary trading partner in Latin America, continues to receive a larger portion of its exports. The value of Chilean exports to Brazil reached USD 2.8B in 2022, a 21.4% increase from 2021. Also included is the fresh fruit basket, which brought in USD 123.15M and was led by apples at USD 9.4M, followed by plums, apricots, and cherries at USD 19M.
Apricot
Moldova: Apricot Orchards in Moldova May Bloom Earlier
Early flowering in apricot orchards is more likely in Moldova during warm weather. At the beginning of week, the weather in Moldova has been unusually warm for the month of March. The maximum daytime temperature in the south of the country is around +15–17 degrees Celsius, which is 10–12 degrees higher than the average. The following week will see a rise in daytime temperatures in southern Moldova, per the weather forecast. Early apricot orchards may begin to blossom as early as the middle of W12.
In some spots in Bulgaria, the temperature has been as low as -8 degrees in W11. Some fruit growers reported that a heavy frost had hit the country's major regions. They worry that the apricots that have already bloomed may suffer severely, and this could considerably lower output. Apricots can withstand cold temperatures up to -4 degrees, if they haven't fully flowered, there is a chance to keep part of the fruit, but below -4, the chance is zero in full bloom.
Uzbekistan: First Fruits of Apricot Formed in the South of Uzbekistan
In Uzbekistan, fruit trees are massively in blossom, and the outlines of future ripe and luscious fruits are already discernible. Green apricot fruits have begun to ripen on the trees in the southern parts of the nation. The unripe green apricot fruit, also known as "dovuchcha" (or "dovcha"), is a popular snack and typically healthy food in the countries of Central Asia.
Prune
United States: California Growers Enjoy Groundwater Recharge but Wary of Storms at Bloom
Prune blossoms are not as wind- and rain-resistant as almond blossoms, although bloom is anticipated in the coming weeks. Californian growers are crossing their fingers because severe storms during bloom have in the past almost completely destroyed the harvest.
Cherry
Chile: Fruit Exports Increased in January and February 2023
In January and February, Chilean fruit exports experienced a significant increase in volume and value. According to the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies (Odepa), cherries topped the list with shipments of 300,230MT, equivalent to USD 1.543B FOB, representing 68% of the total value of fresh fruit exports during January-February. The main buyers of Chilean cherries were China, which received 89% of the total export value, followed by blueberries, which recorded shipments of 67,600 tonnes with USD 314M FOB, and table grapes, which had 108,890 tonnes with a value of USD 166.58M FOB.
Overall, the total fruit exports from the country reached 738K tonnes with a value of USD 2.547B FOB from January to February 2023, an increase of 14.3% in exported volume and 7.3% in value compared to the same period in 2022. The majority of these exports were fresh fruit, with a total of 634.8K tonnes, equivalent to USD 2.261B FOB, and recording an increase in the volume of 17.3% and value of 4.6% compared to 2022 figures.
Vietnam: The Price of Chilean Cherries Drops to USD 8.48/kg
The price of Chilean cherries is currently USD 8.48/kg, down almost 20% from W11 in 2022. Several countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, and Chile, export cherries to Vietnam. Currently, the selling price is down between 5-20% from this time in 2022.
Taiwan: Chilean Cherries and Japanese Strawberries Are Out of Compliance Again in Taiwan
Taiwan Food and Drug Administration announced 11 non-compliant border inspection lists on March 14, 2023, including four batches of Chilean cherries tested for pesticide residues, totaling 51.7T, and two batches of strawberries from Fukuoka and Nara in Japan. A total of 729kg of pesticides exceeded the standard. Taiwan Food and Drug Administration said that this list of non-compliant items is the highest record of violations in this production season, and all of them will be returned or destroyed.
