Chilean cherry exports forecast to reach 667,000 MT in 2026/27

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Chilean cherry production is forecast to reach 727,000 MT in MY 2026/2027, up 16 per cent from the previous season, while exports are projected at 667,000 MT. The expected increase follows MY 2025/26, when exports declined nine per cent to approximately 569,492 MT.

Cherry planted area is projected to reach 80,000 hectares in MY 2026/2027, compared with 77,766 hectares in 2025/2026. Expansion of new plantings has slowed as the sector shifts toward orchard productivity and varietal renewal. Harvested area is estimated at 76,000 hectares as previously planted orchards reach maturity. Cherry production typically begins four to five years after planting.

© ODEPA

Maule remains Chile’s main cherry-producing region, with 32,801 hectares, representing 42.2 per cent of the national area. O’Higgins follows with 29,935 hectares, or 38.5 per cent. Together, the two regions account for more than 80 per cent of Chile’s cherry acreage.

Plastic rooftops are used in many orchards to reduce exposure to rainfall during flowering and harvesting. Santina, Lapins, and Regina remain the main varieties. Newer plantings include Sweet Aryana, Nimba, Pacific Red, Areko, Sweet Lorenz, and Sweet Gabriel as producers focus on harvest timing, productivity, fruit firmness, and shipping performance.

Exports are forecast to reach 667,000 MT in MY 2026/2027, supported by demand, particularly from China, and higher output from orchards planted between 2021 and 2023. Export growth is expected to be moderated by market absorption capacity, logistics constraints during peak shipments, and quality requirements in China. The sector is also placing more emphasis on productivity, quality, and market diversification rather than rapid acreage expansion.

© ODEPA

In MY 2025/26, exports declined to approximately 569,492 MT as production normalized following the MY 2024/25 crop. Concentrated arrivals in China also created logistics and commercial challenges.

Fresh peach and nectarine production, meanwhile, is forecast at 209,063 MT in MY 2026/2027, up six per cent, with exports projected to increase 8.6 per cent to 147,000 MT. Growth is being driven by expansion in nectarines while the sector moves away from peach production.

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Source: The Plantations International Agroforestry Group of Companies