Chilean grape industry prepared to ‘move forward with greater force than ever’
In a move to enhance the competitiveness of Chile’s grape industry in international markets, the President of The Chilean Fruit Exporters Association Iván Marambio, together with Ignacio Caballero, coordinator of the Table Grape Committee and director of marketing for the Asociación de Exportadores de Frutas de Chile (ASOEX), have announced a strategic plan for a newly formed grape committee.
In July, the ASOEX Board of Directors ratified the formation of a new Table Grape Committee charged with developing strategies to address the various challenges that have been affecting this sector for some time, according to a release from the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association.
"Last season was one of the most complex for the Chilean fresh fruit industry, but especially for the grape sector,” said Caballero in the release. “We formed the Chilean Table Grape Committee to generate a strategic plan to improve quality and strengthen our competitiveness in international markets. The industry is committed to working together as a sector. As the world’s premier supplier of table grapes, we will move forward with greater force than ever.”
The strategic plan includes three pillars:
- Lead, coordinate, unite and communicate
- Improve the condition of the fruit
- Improve competitiveness
To achieve these pillars, said Caballero, "the Committee has established 16 initial actions, among which, the development of an estimation program stands out, in order to deliver accurate and ongoing updates on export volumes throughout the season. This is already being implemented, with the first estimate ready.”
The committee plans to release at least four estimates during the 2022-2023 season, added Caballero. A second will be delivered on Oct. 21, a third at the end of November and a fourth at the end of December 2022.
Marambio released the first 2022-2023 export estimate of the Chilean grape industry from the ASOEX Table Grape Committee. The estimate was built with information provided by 40 companies representing 68% of the total exported during the 2021-2022 season. All are members of the grape committee.
“Our first estimate shows 70.6 million 8.2-kilogram boxes, a 5.7% reduction from last season,” he said. Marambio added that it is still early in the season and variables such as weather and logistics could impact total volume.
Shipments of new varieties are expected to exceed 36 million boxes, followed by traditional varieties with more than 22 million boxes, and Red Globe with a little more than 12 million boxes, said Marambio.
"The Chilean table grape industry is focusing on new varieties, which arrive in better condition and are requested by our destination markets, thus responding to market and consumer demands,” he said.
The first estimate shows a significant volume of red grapes, exceeding 28 million boxes, which are highly desired by international markets such as the United States and Asia. Green varieties exceed 23 million boxes, followed by Red Globe with more than 12 million and black varieties with just over 6 million boxes.
