Summer citrus from Chile got off to a strong start during the fourth week of April with 519 metric tons of clementines shipped to the U.S., said Karen Brux, managing director of Frutas de Chile. That’s up significantly from last year’s kickoff of 44 tons.
Lemon shipments got underway the same week with 59 tons sent to northern Europe. Last year, Chilean lemon exports started a week earlier, with 385 tons shipped to the U.S.
Chilean navel orange exports are expected to begin around the first week of June, and mandarins should start the last week of June.
“The spring’s weather conditions were ideal for growing sweet fruit with good sizing,” Brux said.
“We had long, warm days with cool nights, which had a positive impact on growing conditions and have been ideal for developing good Brix and sizing, helping citrus to reach their maximum flavor and quality,” she added.
Abundant rainfall last year replenished reservoirs and helped boost production.
“This was particularly important for the IV region (Coquimbo) in northern Chile that had been in drought for several years,” Brux said.
In 2024, Chilean growers exported 50,419 tons of clementines to the U.S. (98% of total clementine exports), 126,263 tons of mandarins (95%), 60,359 tons of lemons (63%) and 97,627 tons of navel oranges (93%).
Significant production increases are seen in the initial forecast for the coming season, especially for mandarins.
Mandarin volume is expected to increase by 32%, clementines should be up 25% and lemons are projected to rise 6%, but navel orange production might be down 18%.
Chile’s total citrus production is forecast to come in at 444 tons, an increase of 11% over 2024.
Frutas de Chile will work with retailers on tailored promotions to help them move Chilean clementines, lemons, navels and mandarins, Brux said.
“This will include everything from digital campaigns and digital coupons to in-store radio and videos running on store kiosks,” she said.
