Volumes to US will ramp up from mid-March, making this a good time for retail promotions, says Grape Committee
Chilean table grape exports are projected to reach almost 62m cartons this season, slightly up on the 60.5m cartons shipped during the 2022/23 campaign. Around 57 per cent of this season’s projected total volume – equivalent to 35m cartons – will go to the US.
According to the Chilean Grape Committee, 20m cartons had been shipped globally to week 8, of which 15m went to the US. Another 20m will be shipped between weeks 9 and 17, with the East Coast receiving approximately 15m and the West Coast 5m.
To week 8, Chile has shipped 11 per cent of its export volume to the Far East, 8 per cent to Latin America, and 5 per cent to Europe.
Ignacio Caballero, marketing director at Frutas de Chile and coordinator of the Grape Committee said: “More than half of the volume projected for the US market has yet to be shipped, and weekly volumes will increase starting in Week 10. It’s looking like mid-March through April will be a great time for retailers to promote Chilean grapes”.
In terms of varieties, there has been significant growth this season in exports of Sweet Globe, Allison, Timco, and Autumn Crisp. The variety experiencing the greatest drop in volume has been Thompson Seedless, with volume plummeting by 52 per cent in response to market feedback.
