MONTREAL, Quebec – Chilean fresh fruits bring the bright colors and intense flavors of summer to northern markets, and this year consumers can expect to see even more of the succulent fruits from Chile. The Chilean Fresh Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) projects that fresh fruits from Chile will increase in export volume for the 2010-11 season. The Association’s president, Ronald Bown states, “The Chilean fresh fruit industry should maintain a steady growth throughout coming seasons. We are strongly committed with the North American. market and believe there is still room to continue our grow toward next year. One of our principal objectives is to increase our country’s competitiveness, and we intend to achieve this with the creation and development of product-specific committees and good agricultural and labor practices programs.”
Imports from Chile to Canada topped $525 million in 2010, making the South American country the seventh largest source of imports into Canada. Fresh grapes and apples rank among the top five agri-food imports in recent years, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
“Canada’s imports from Chile have been steadily increasing since 1995 and are currently almost 200% of what they were at that time; growing from about $164 million to about $488 million (in 2008),” reports Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Blueberries
Chile’s “little blue dynamos” picked up speed this year, with total exports surpassing season estimates and coming together to a grand total of 40%. Total Chilean blueberry export volume has grown substantially each of the past 5 years, and exports to Canada have increased over the past three seasons, according to the Chilean Blueberry Committee. Direct exports to Canada this recent 2010-11 season showed an increase of 56%.
Cherries
Cherry exports from Chile exploded this year, up 71% from the previous season, according to the Chilean Fresh Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX). Chilean exporters have shipped more than 57,000 tons the sweet fruit, with approximately 848 tons entering Canada this season.
Table Grapes
Harvest of sweet, succulent table grapes continues in Chile, with export volumes expected to be 5% greater than last year. Canadian markets reported higher grape sales rates in early April, according to SimFRUIT, the official Chilean fresh fruit intelligence market system. Crimson and Red Globe varieties, along with Autumn Royal, showed the highest harvest activity in late March.
Stone Fruits
Nectarine and plum volumes from Chile could be up 10% to 20% from last season. Peach volumes, on the other hand, project a growth of 5%. Chilean exports of nectarines were up 17% in February/March, according to SimFRUIT. Production of peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots dropped during 2009-10 because of weather-related issues.
Kiwifruit
Exports of Summerkiwi – the supersweet variety of kiwi from Chile – are expected to jump 40% this season, given estimates from the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee. Main target markets for this variety would be directed towards North America and Asia. Consumers will learn to recognize this quick-ripening kiwifruit variety by its shape, which is slightly longer than other kiwis, and its stellar taste, which features high brix levels for outstanding sweetness. Regarding the Hayward variety, the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee predicts tonnage to be nearly 185,000 tons for the 2010-11 season, with small variation from the previous 2009-10 season.
Apples
Renowned for their firm pulp and excellent flavor, Chilean red-skinned apple varieties like Royal Gala, Braeburn and Fuji are exported through October.Apple exports are expected to increase 2% in 2010-11, with shipments of approximately 858,000 tons predicted, according to SimFRUIT. The North American Market tends to account for 14% to 16% of total Chilean apple exports to the world.
Pears
Pears are powering up for a strong season in 2010-11, as exports are expected to jump 4% from last year, with near 119,000 anticipated for shipment, reports SimFRUIT. Consumers can watch for new varieties like Forelle and Abate Fetel this year in addition to the traditional favorites like Coscia, Summer Bartlett and Packham’s Triumph.
Citrus
The sweet tang of Chilean citrus will soon be on store shelves, with lemon and clementine harvest beginning in May, followed by orange production in July. The Chilean Citrus Committee forecast is estimating a normal crop with slight increases in spite of the drought that some growing areas have experienced.
Chile is the No. 1 fresh fruit exporter from the Southern Hemisphere, accounting for more than 59% of fruit exports considering grapes, apples, kiwis, avocados, plums, nectarines, peaches, blueberries and pears. Today the Chilean fresh fruit industry exports more than 75 different varieties to more than 100 different countries.
For further information go to: www.chileanfreshfruit.com/.
Source: Chilean Fresh Fruit Association
