Argentina: Fresh Deciduous Fruit Semi-annual
For Calendar Year (CY) 2015, Post revised fresh apple production downward to 640,000 MT and fresh pear production is forecast to go down to 610,000 MT. The decrease in production for both types of fruit was due to hail storms and large volumes of unharvested fruit as a result of the severe economic and financial crisis affecting the local fruit sector. For table grapes, production is projected to decrease from official estimates to 130,000 MT. However, it will rebound by 85 percent from CY 2014 due to favorable weather conditions. Apple exports are forecast to decrease to 140,000 MT, and pear exports will go down to 340,000 MT as local fruit companies continue to lose competitiveness in export markets. Table grape exports are projected to remain stable at 22,000 MT. Amidst volatile export markets, the United States remains a reliable export market for Argentine apples and pears.
