Brazilian apple producers compete with China in the global market

The Brazilian Association of Apple Producers (ABPM) predicts the 2023 apple yield to be close to 1 million tons, parallel to the previous year’s output. The forecast follows heavy rainfalls experienced in the second half of 2023.

ABPM President Pierre Nicolas Pérès mentioned that the rain’s impact was not as detrimental as initially feared, thereby reducing surplus supply domestically and ensuring profitable prices for producers.

Internationally, Brazilian apples are favorably positioned against competitors such as Europe and China. Pérès: “European production was slightly lower than the previous year, around 4%. Reports also indicate a minor decrease in China.”

Projected Brazilian apple exports for this year range between 35,000 and 45,000 tons, contingent on factors like the exchange rate and harvest development during summer, a period vulnerable to hail.

Brazilian apple exporters, like Rasip, a part of the RAR Group, are penetrating premium Asian markets. In the first half of 2024, the company plans to ship to the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, countries predominantly importing Chinese apples.

The chart below shows Brazilian container exports of apples, measured in TEUs, over the first eleven months of 2023. The data used was sourced from Datamar’s market intelligence service DataLiner.

Brazilian Apple Exports | 2023 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Sérgio Martins Barbosa, RAR President, stated that Brazilian apples are crunchier, tastier, sweeter, and have a more vibrant red color than Chinese apples, attracting high-quality markets. He believes that opening new markets for Brazilian apples is a significant achievement for the country.

Despite climate issues impacting other fruit crops in southern Brazil, Barbosa is optimistic about the apple harvest, estimating a yield between 950,000 and 1 million tons.

Source: FleshPlaza and Abrafrutas.org

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