Chilean organic product distributorApioPaltahas revealed that the country’s organic food industry is expected to rapidly increase in value during the next five years on the back of rising demand.
Currently, sales are worth an estimated US$7.4m, ApioPalta told a local news source, but said sales are on course to rise to US$53m by 2013 since both domestic and overseas demand are growing year-on-year.
Chile’s organic food industry has been expanding steadily during the last eight years, with the bulk of fruit and vegetable volumes destined for export to Europe and the US.
Domestic demand, meanwhile, is reportedly increasing by 20 per cent a year in Chile.
Consumers currently purchase in the region of US$200,000 in organic production each month, although high prices remain an obstacle to increased trade.
