The latest figures covering Chile's fresh produce exports have highlighted the growing importance of the Russian market to the Chilean fruit industry, a fact backed-up by the country's large presence at World Food Moscow.
Official statistics show that Chilean fresh fruit exports to Russia have grown by 27.7 per cent to 102,792 tonnes this year, led by table grapes (41 per cent), green apples (20 per cent), red apples (18 per cent) and kiwifruit (13 per cent). In addition, stonefruit and cherries are showing encouraging signs of increasing their presence in the country.
Christian Carvajal, marketing manager for Europe and Asia at the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA), noted that Russia is the third-largest receiving market in Europe for Chilean fruit in volume terms, but explained that figures only tale into account direct shipments.
'There is, of course, a substantial amount of volume of fruit being shipped directly into St Petersburg, but there is also a significant volume being re-exported from other ports, which are unaccounted for by direct statistics,' Mr Carvajal added. 'A lot of the fruit that is registered as being sold in Germany (Chile's leading European market) and the Netherlands is being shipped on to other destinations by road, notably Russia.'
As a result, The CFFA's participation at World Food Moscow in Russia, which this year took place on 14-17 September, has become even more crucial in terms of creating new openings for Chilean fruit.
'We had a record turnout this year with 14 exporting companies and over 22 representatives attending the show, some of whom already have god connections with Russia and some who are at the early stages of building their business in the Russian market,' Mr Carvajal added. 'Our presence at this show was very much about cementing the relationships that already exist and exploring the new opportunities that undoubtedly lie in Russia.'
