2020 was a rotten year for papaya, strawberry, and avocado exports

Although 2020 was a positive year for the export of most Brazilian fruits, some species registered sharp declines. This is the case with papaya, strawberries, and avocado.

For example, data from SECEX (the foreign trade secretariat) compiled by ABAFRUTAS (the Brazilian association of fruit and derivative exporters) show that between January and November, avocado shipments totaled 7,400 tons which is 27% lower than in 2019. In revenue, the drop was 33%, to US$ 13 million.

Papaya exports, totaling 39,200 tons, generated US$ 37.2 million, or 12% less than the period from January to November 2019. Strawberry sales abroad, totaling 84.5 tons, declined 58% in volume and 53% in sales revenue, which fell to US$ 218,000.

In the case of avocados, the drop in shipments occurred partly due to the increase in domestic consumption, which has grown between 30% and 35% since the beginning of the year, according to Jonas Octávio, commercial manager at LA Ferretti Frutas, a large avocado producer in Brazil. In addition, the drought also affected the avocado culture, which is perennial; this reduced the availability of the product. São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Paraná make up the main fruit-producing regions in the country.

The effects of these factors on shipments may have been occasional. However, by limiting avocado shipments to buyers abroad, the restriction measures during the pandemic made the difficulties of air transport even more evident. “We are investing to start shipping, but the bulk still travels on commercial planes,” said Octávio. If shipping a kilo of fruit (which includes the weight of the package) costs US$ 1.25 for airplanes, shipping it by sea brings the value down to US$ 0.25.

Mango and lemon, sold mainly to the European Union, continue to lead Brazilian fruit exports. Between January and November, the segment’s total shipments in the country totaled 903,800 tons, 6% more than in the first 11 months of 2019. From January to October, the advance had been 2.8% in comparison with the first ten months of 2019. The consolidated revenue from these sales grew 3% in the accumulated figure from January to November, to US$ 769.1 million.

In data for November alone, shipments of all fruit varieties reached the level of 138,200 tons, representing a 16% increase compared to the same month of 2019. Revenue advanced 23% in the same comparison, to US$ 133.4 million.

Consult the chart below for monthly Brazilian fruit exports since January 2017:

Brazilian Exports of Fruits (Mangoes, Lemons and Limes, and Avocados) | Jan 2017 to Oct 2020 | TEU

Graph source: DataLiner (To request a DataLiner demo, click here)

Source: Valor Econômico

Sharing is caring!