Chilean table grape exports are forecast to increase by 16 per cent to 843,856 tonnes according to Santiago-based consultancy Decofrut. This is 3 per cent higher than the pre-season estimate given by producer association Fedefruta last month.
With the exception of Coquimbo, where production is expected to fall by 12 per cent due to the ongoing drought, output is set to rise across the main growing regions. The biggest increase will come from the VI Region (43 per cent), while the V Region and Metropolitana are forecast to see increases of 11 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.
Decofrut said early varieties including Flame, Superior and Thompson Seedless have largely recovered from the September 2013 frosts and the crop is expected to weigh in at a similar level to the 2012/13 total. Production of Red Globe and Crimson Seedless also continues to rise with the exception of the IV Region where the drought will hit late varieties.
The first consignments were shipped from northern Chile in the first week of December. The bulk of the early crop supplies the pre-Christmas market in the US and subsequently Asian markets, notably China, South Korea and Japan. Smaller quantities are also shipped to the UK and Russia.
