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Chilean Cherry Import Data Story

The Chilean cherry harvest season has begun this year. Delicious, ripe cherries from Chile will be available to US consumers in increasing volumes throughout our winter. South America is experiencing warmer weather, and harvest time is now for cherries. Areas closer to the equator will produce cherries first, followed by areas south.

As the volume of cherries arriving at US ports increases, the price decreases; this can be seen in the following data from the most recent weekly US Cherry Market Update showing how the prices and volumes of cherries in US markets have changed from the previous week. For example, this past week, cherry prices fell slightly while weekly volume increased by 54.32 percent compared with last week.

The following graph illustrates the relationship between the price of cherries and the production volume. The peak in the graph is from when cherry production in the US peaks and prices reach their lowest levels. When cherries first arrive at the store, the price is higher; as the volumes of domestic cherries increase and arrive in stores, the price decreases.

The amount of cherries arriving from Chile this year and in future years is expected to grow significantly. These cherries allow US consumers to enjoy the fruit in the winter months when cherry trees in the US do not produce fruit. Despite Chile experiencing record-breaking droughts linked to climate change heading into 2022, Chile is expected to increase its cherry exports by 2.6%. The Chilean government has invested in water conservation and storage and created a new position that manages water and the constantly evolving climate of the region.

(Link)

Chile has been increasing exports by expanding production, growing a wide variety of cherries, and adequately training the trees in high-density orchards to develop to maximize output. Farmers can prepare branches with ropes to encourage them to grow, so leaves have the most access to light for photosynthesis. Growers have been trying different strategies to reduce losses to pests without harming ecosystems, such as a newer strategy using sound or lasers to keep birds from eating crops. In addition, many growers are increasingly seeing the benefits of including native and local plants in agricultural areas to increase biodiversity while helping pollinators and wildlife.

The last graph shows a long-term view of the US cherry price and volume data. The peaks of volumes of cherries during the summer months represent domestic US cherry production. The books coming in the winter months to the US from South American countries are expected to grow yearly. This will allow US consumers to access affordable, fresh cherries nearly year-round.

The future for the cherry market is looking bright. Farmers are implementing practices to help provide stable volumes of cherries to world markets while reducing negative environmental impact. In addition, with the export season in Chile already underway, US consumers expect prices to decrease.

Appendix:

Note: The units from this last graph are incorrect. When I changed from pounds to kilograms, the unit for volume remained millions of pounds. It also shows the number with dollars when it should be in the book.

The Modern Journalism Project is an investigative newsroom based in Kansas City, Missouri, dedicated in 2023 to bringing unique stories to form.

(Credit to Matt DeCapo)

References:

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/180 mmchiles-record-breaking-drought-makes-climate-change-very-easy-see-2021–08–10/