Leaders in the North American retail fresh produce trade travelled to the fruit-growing regions of Chile this month to see first-hand one of the region’s leading sources of fresh fruit during the North American winter.
The visit, organised by the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA), with the support of ProChile, was aimed at introducing the US and Canadian produce industry leaders and first time visitors to Chile’s landscape, various growing regions, fresh fruit producers and their state-of-the-art facilities.
According to a press release from CFFA, the trip was designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the Chilean fresh fruit industry, including its orchards, vineyards, packing facilities, fruit inspection sites, and Chile’s main port of Valparaiso, as well as a look at the Chilean blueberry industry in Virquenco.
CFFA said tour participants met with growers and exporters to observe first-hand the Chilean produce industry’s commitment to food safety and the intense efforts that go into ensuring that fresh fruit arrives in North America in the best possible quality and condition.
“Driven by North Americans’ love for fresh summer fruit all year round, Chile has become a dominant exporter to the US and Canada especially during our winter months,” explained Tom Tjerandsen, CFFA’s North American managing director.
“By showing produce industry leaders Chile’s unique production areas, this trip will deepen their understanding of Chile, its production zones, the commitment and passion of the growers and, hopefully, build a stronger bridge with one of America’s leading trading partners.”
The tour was led by Fernando Balart, CFFA's marketing manager for the US and Latin America; Tom Tjerandsen, CFFA managing director; and Andres Armstrong, general manager at the Chilean Blueberry Committee.
Retailer participants included: Melissa Heinrich, produce director for Walmart; Randy Brittain, procurement director for the Military Produce Group; Dave Rhodes, produce operations director for Marsh; Alejandra Contreras, vendor development manager for Loblaw's; Nick Penry, produce marketing and operations manager for Federates Co-operatives Limited; and Marcus Vincent, commodities buyer for Safeway.
