Season’s first shipment of Chilean fruit hits West Coast
Twelve days after leaving a Chilean port, the country’s first break bulk fruit shipment has reached the West Coast.
The shipment of about 4,500 pallets of fruit, , arrived at the Port of Los Angeles on Jan. 9 and the fruit began arriving at retailers the following week.
Weekly shipments of Chilean fruit will be arriving on the West Coast through April, according to a news release from the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association.
Steve Hattendorf, the western region merchandiser, for the association, greeted the vessel and toured the 14-acre port facility in San Pedro, Calif.
The Chilean Fresh Fruit Association has merchandising support for retailers in the U.S. and Canada, according to the release.
“Demos, digital coupons, kids cooking classes, and social media contests are just some of the programs we’re currently running with retailers big and small,” Karen Brux, the association’s managing director, said in the release. “We’re also further supporting retail sales through our consumer campaign, which includes extensive social media promotions, as well as our new Super Fruit Bowl campaign that’s currently running with ESPN.”
Consumers can go to www.chileanfreshfruitbowl.com for a chance to win two tickets to the Super Bowl on Feb. 2.
Through Jan. 6, Chile had exported about 64,500 tons of fresh fruit to the U.S. this season, including:
Cherries: 4,400 tons;
Blueberries 30,200 tons;
Grapes: 17,000 tons;
Nectarines: 5,100 tons;
Peaches: 5,400 tons; and
Plums: 2,300 tons.
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