The port workers’ strike at San Antonio is seriously affecting exports of blueberries, stonefruit and table grapes in Chile’s north-central region, according to grower federation Fedefruta.
It said that as grape production in Region IV entered its critical phase, growers risked losing their entire crop and export markets. With grape and apple exports from the central region due to get underway shortly, Fedefruta repeated demands for workers to end their illegal strike. It pledged its support to the growing ‘Ports without Strikes’ campaign, saying the sector should state publicly its right to export freely from Chilean ports.
The Chilean Blueberry Committee said the continuing port strike, coupled with exporters still having to adapt to the new fumigation requirements for export to the US, was causing delays to shipments. A recent rise in temperatures in Regions VII and VIII has affected the quality of mid-season varieties, meaning less fruit was available for export.
Around 4,500 tonnes of blueberries were shipped in the second week of January, compared with a projected volume of 7,600 tonnes. Total volumes exported to date stood at 36,000 tonnes, 24 per cent lower than had been estimated earlier and 20 per cent down on the volumes shipped by this point last season.
