Photo: citrus of Mexico, exporter of the chinese market

Photo: GKC

India’s 2019/20 crop totalled 2.28 million tons, 21% lower than the previous year’s volume due to adverse weather and many vineyards infested by fungal diseases, which affected grape quality. USDA estimates for 2020/21 are for a similar volume. India is a major consumer of grapes. In 2020/21, imports are expected to rise 8% to 8,000 tons due to decreased domestic supplies. China accounts for around two-thirds of the imported volume, followed by Afghanistan (9%) and the US (8%).

The global peach and nectarine crop is estimated to fall 5% to 21.0 million tons, due to adverse weather conditions in top producers China and the EU, according to USDA/FAS data. The reduced harvest is expected to lower global exports. 

The world’s 2020 cherry production is expected to forecast to rise 1.5% to 3.9 million tons, due to a rise in outpUS as the second largest exporter. Exports are further boosted by Turkey gaining market access to Chinut in Turkey, Chile, and China, which more than offset losses in the EU and US, according to USDA/FAS data. Increased supplies are expected to increase exports slightly to 503,000 tons, especially from Chile and Turkey.

As China’s economy begins to recover, Chilean fruit exporters breathe a sigh of relief.  At a virtual conference organised by Fedefruta on Wednesday, Chile’s ambassador to China, Luis Schmidt, said that Chilean fruit exports had increased in recent months, as China gets back onto its feet after the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, Chile has been intensifying its efforts to comply with China’s demanding phytosanitary regulations. 

Turkey is set to become a key player in Asian fruit and vegetable markets. The country is currently in advanced negotiations to secure access for its wide range of fresh produce to key markets such as China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines, among others. Turkey’s Minister of Trade, Ruhsar Pekcan announced the acceleration in the country’s plan to diversify its fresh fruit and vegetable exports. Turkey currently is authorised to ship cherries to China and South Korea. Pekcan said that she soon expects China to authorise shipments of Turkish citrus, apples, grapes and pomegranate.

Global peach and nectarine harvest is expected to set a new record of 22.3 million tons in 2019 (+10%), as orchards in China, the EU, and the US recover from the weather-hit 2018 campaign, according to USDA data. The growth in supply is expected to boost imports and exports. 

EU imports of fresh tomato have climbed steadily since 2015, from 481,000 tons to 628,000 tons in 2018. The largest non-EU supplier by far is Morocco. Imports from the North African country climbed 10.7% in 2018 to reach 449,700 tons. While tomato exports from Turkey plummeted between 2009 and 2013 (from 105,000 tons to 29,000 tons), they have since risen steadily, reaching 108,000 tons in 2018 – an increase of 6.5% from 2017. Israel is no longer the major source of tomatoes it once was. Between 2009 and 2018, shipment volumes fell from 25,000 tons to just 639 tons.