Hurricane Hilary opens new opportunities for grape producers in Brazil boost exports

The aftermath of Hurricane Hilary, which hit the United States last month with rains that affected fruit production, has opened up new horizons for grape exports in Brazil’s São Francisco Valley.

With the prospect of an increase of around 35% compared to the last major harvest in 2021 when the São Francisco Valley exported 14.39 thousand tonnes of grapes to the United States, producers gathered in Petrolina, Pernambuco, on Wednesday (6) to meet with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa).

See below for more information on Brazilian exports of grapes (hs 0806) to the United States between January 2019 and July 2023. The chart that follows was developed using DataLiner data.

Grape exports to US | Jan 2019 – July 2023 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

During the meeting at the Rural Producers Union of Petrolina (SPR), fruit growers and federal government representatives acknowledged the shortage of federal agricultural auditors to inspect and clear the fruit shipments. Consequently, they fear a potential “collapse” in exports.

Antônio Romão Almeida, a federal tax auditor, referred to a survey by Anffa Sindical, which currently shows 1,200 vacant positions in the career, meaning they could immediately be filled with the recruitment of new staff. The organization is still awaiting a positive response from the Federal Government regarding the public competition announced in June of this year.

According to the President of the Rural Producers Union of Petrolina, Jailson Lira, American customers are already responding to the more attractive prices and ordering in advance fruits to guarantee enough supply for supermarket chains in November, December, and January of next year.

“We have 21 accredited companies for export to the US market, and we are already fully prepared to meet the inspections required by the United States Department of Agriculture, especially regarding temperature control and container sealing,” concluded Jailson Lira, adding that the São Francisco Valley accounts for 95% of all grape exports produced in Brazil.

Source: Notícias Agrícolas

To read the original news report, visit: https://www.noticiasagricolas.com.br/noticias/hortifruti/358859-produtores-de-uvas-do-vale-do-sao-francisco-vao-ampliar-exportacoes-para-os-estados-unidos.html

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