Argentina is bidding to become a leading supplier of table grapes to the European counter-seasonal market as part of a new project designed to double the fruit’s export value to US$200m by 2020, according to a local news report.
Developed by Argentina’s Viticulture Corporation, the initiative aims to use the country’s reputation as a supplier of quality wines to develop a solid presence for the table grape trade in northern Europe and Latin America.
Currently, the majority of Argentina’s grape production is channelled into the wine industry, but with the growth in consumption of table grapes growers are keen to develop an alternative and added-value outlet for their fruit.
In the last two years, the value of Argentina’s table grape exports has already grown from US$50m in 2005 to a projected US$80m this year.
According to José Molina, chairman of the Mendoza Viticulture Corporation, the idea is to develop Argentina into a highly competitive supplier of table grapes, able to respond to ever-new consumer demands.
To that end, the industry plans to modernise production in the main growing areas, as well as develop strategic marketing programmes with European and Latin American markets.
Argentina is currently the Southern Hemisphere’s third-largest table grape exporter, accounting for 4.3 per cent of the trade, well behind Chile and South Africa.
During the first five months of 2008, Argentina exported 16,935 tonnes of table grapes to Russia, 14,172 tonnes to the Netherlands, 11,713 tonnes to Belgium, 8,141 tonnes to Brazil and 2,673 tonnes to Germany.
