Strawberry exports from Mexico grew 24.8 percent in the period from January to April 2021, at an annual rate, reaching $662 million dollars.
Its volume was 156,800 tons, an increase of 16.3 percent year-on-year, as reported by Opportimes.
Mexico’s share of the U.S. import market declined in the past two years, to about 60 percent in 2020, from 79 percent in 2018, while imports from Chile to the U.S. increased 6 percent, and imports from Peru grew 40 percent, according to the California Strawberry Commission BB #:153596.
Regarding exports, despite a decline in shipments in mid-March 2020 when the U.S. lockdown began, shipments to the U.S. increased in 2020.
The California Strawberry Commission reported that the total shipments from the state in 2020 were 1.892 million pounds, 4 percent more than the previous year. While total shipments from Florida calendar year in 2020 were up 20 percent from the previous year.
Strawberry exports from central Mexico to the U.S. typically occur from November to March, while strawberry exports from Baja California, Mexico, occur from January to April in smaller quantities.
Mexican strawberry exports create competition during the Florida season and the California growing areas of Orange County and Oxnard.
The California Strawberry Processing Advisory Board reported that the 2020 estimated package of frozen strawberries in the U.S. was 359.7 pounds, slightly below the previous year and below the average levels of recent years.
With a lower package, below average starting stocks, and a slight increase in demand, U.S. frozen strawberry imports were up 26 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year.
Import volumes from Mexico, the largest supplier of frozen strawberry imports to the US, increased 17 percent from 2019.
