Heavy rains and crop failures drive Brazil’s fresh apple exports to all-time low

The trade balance for Brazil’s fresh apples market has taken a significant hit, plunging to a negative balance of US$72.64 million for the period spanning January to May. This marks the largest deficit on record since 1997, as reported by Comex Stat. The imbalance stems from a sharp decline in exports coupled with a substantial increase in imports.

During this period, revenue from Brazilian apple exports plummeted by 72% to US$7.76 million, while expenses surged by 72% to US$80.40 million. These figures reflect the fallout from the Brazilian harvest, which was marred by heavy rains since spring 2023. These adverse weather conditions led to quality issues, including the proliferation of fungal diseases like Glomerella cingulata and a reduction in fruit size. The diminished size of Brazilian apples negatively impacted exports and fueled an uptick in imports of medium-sized fruits.

The following chart uses DataLiner-derived data to dive into exports of apples, pears, and quinces, in containers, from Brazil between Jan 2022 and Apr 2024.

Apple Exports from Brazil | Jan 2022 – Apr 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Notably, when examining partial data, from January to April, shipments to nearly all destinations experienced a decline. One exception to this trend was Russia, which saw a modest recovery in apple imports.

Source: HF Brasil

Original text in Portuguese available at: https://www.hfbrasil.org.br/br/maca-cepea-parcial-de-2024-esta-com-a-balanca-comercial-mais-negativa-da-serie-historica.aspx

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