Over 1,100 tonnes of top-quality navel oranges will arrive at US supermarkets this week, with availability high and quality even higher, according to the Chilean Citrus Committee.
The committee, which represents 85 per cent of the citrus imported to North America from Chile, is offering an array of point-of-purchase materials to promote the offer.
POS activities will be supported by a publicity drive to fuel demand for the summer fruit, according to a press release from the organisation.
To ensure that Chile’s citrus crop arrives to US retailers at the peak of its ripeness and flavour, the committee has implemented a so-called Orange Ripening Verification Program.
Chile’s Fruit Development Foundation, an independent body charged with certifying the ripeness of fruit destined for the North American market, recently began weekly inspection visits to packing plants of committee members.
Inspectors will verify that Chilean citrus has a minimum of 9° Brix, as well as favourable acidity levels to ensure that all citrus arrives at peak flavour, the committee pointed out.
“Chile’s agricultural practices and regulations are very stringent,” says Tom Tjerandsen, managing director for North America for the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association, based in Sonoma, California.
“This new citrus verification program is just another example of Chile’s commitment to providing North Americans with the best and tastiest oranges and citrus.”
As Chile’s exports grow, Tjerandsen says so do retailer and buyer expectations, which is why exporters are committed to ensuring that all oranges destined for export to North America are of good quality, both internally and externally.
To that end, committee members have agreed to hold back fruit that fails to meet the ripening standards.
Chilean orange exports are already tracking 19 per cent higher than last year.
In 2012, exports are anticipated to rise by 10 per cent to 69,000 tonnes.
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