CHILE - The Association of Agricultural Producers and Exporters of the Copiapó Valley (APECO) officially kicked off the 2018-19 table grape season with an inaugural ceremony on November 27th. Regional authorities—the National Society of Agriculture (SNA), the Foundation for Fruit Development (FDF), and the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile (ASOEX)—joined the event to celebrate the first harvests of one of Chile’s flagship fruits.
“The markets have spoken, and we have listened,” stated the President of APECO, Lina Arrieta, in a press release. “Our important export markets, like North America, are not interested in older varieties like Flames and Red Globes. Our growers are working hard to meet the needs of our export markets, so you’ll see increasing volumes of new varieties.”
Within that press release, she also expressed optimism for the coming season and a dedication to providing export markets with the varieties they demand.
The Chilean Fresh Fruit Association works hand-in-hand with importers, wholesalers, and retailers to drive sales of Chilean grapes and other fruits. Grape volume from the Copiapó region is projected to exceed 10 million boxes this season, with harvesting starting on November 20th and shipments expected to depart for the United States between December 5th and 7th. The largest volumes from the region will be harvested from December through mid-January, with late varieties finishing by the first week in March. North America, the press release noted, continues to be Chile’s largest market for grapes, receiving roughly 45% of Chilean grape volume (39 million boxes) during the 2017/18 season.
“With two merchandisers in the U.S. and one in Canada, we are able to support the trade with the marketing they need to sell more Chilean fruit,” said Karen Brux, Managing Director of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association. “One retailer might love digital coupons, while another prefers produce manager sales contests or social media contests for their customers. We develop the right mix to elevate Chilean fruit sales.”
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