Fruit from Chile will be available this year. That is the opinion held by importers from North America in the wake of Chile’s recent heavy rains and flooding, which have been dubbed the worst weather the nation has experienced in ten years.
The Chilean Citrus Committee reports that there hasn’t been any damage to the citrus fields and that they don’t anticipate any delays with harvesting or shipping as a result of the rain because the country is just beginning the citrus season.Chile required rain, but evidently too much rain too soon led to some terrible flood conditions in the nation.
However, the situation is continuously changing due to weather events like this one. “The importers will face some challenges as they decide how much fruit will be harvested and sent if there will be delays in vessels as they are trying to fill them to capacity to send to the U.S. because of the current uncertainty.”However, importers have encountered weather problems in other nations before. Being adaptable is important because the knowledge we currently have may change as growers continue to evaluate the damages. Mandarins, lemons, Cara Caras, and navels are among the citrus products that would be impacted, though it is still unclear how much.
Measuring the effect
He claims that growers are currently evaluating the damage and won’t be able to return to their crops until the floods have subsided. He claims that the middle to central south of Chile, or the V and VI areas, were most severely impacted by the rains and freezing temperatures. “Mandarins often work in that area afterward. Navels and Cara Caras will be significantly more affected. The bulk of navels/Caras is planted in zones V and VI.
He draws a comparison between the current predicament and the atmospheric rain episodes that occurred in March in California. “In the short term, it’s bad news for them because the floods will undoubtedly have an impact on the crop and yields. Long-term, they required the rain to help saturate the soils and fill up reservoirs, much like California did this year.
