The production of prunes in Chile will struggle to top 50,000 tonnes in 2013, a fall of 33 per cent on the previous year, according to the Chile Prunes Association.
Insufficient cold hours and unusually high temperatures during flowering are behind the decline, explained Pedro Pablo Díaz, the outgoing president of the organisation and head of Sofruco.
Quality and sizing are said to be good, however. With the US and Argentinean prune crops also down, prices for the dried fruit are set to remain firm throughout the season and across all markets.
Díaz is succeeded as president of Chile Prunes by Héctor Claro, the general manager of dried fruit exporter Prunesco.
According to a press release from Chile Prunes, Díaz will remain at the organisation in the role of vice-president.
Chile Prunes shares its management with the Chilean Walnut Committee as a way of synergising efforts to promote the country’s dried fruit and nut industries.
During 2013, the organisation’s focus is to target specific markets for export development, namely Mexico, eastern Europe and China.
Rodrigo Lecaros, marketing manager of Goodvalley, which recently joined Chile Prunes, claims that Germany, Poland, Mexico and Russia present markets with significant potential given their high demand for prunes.
