North American importers are predicting a “stellar” Chilean grape deal this season, with greater volumes of excellent-quality fruit expected arrive in the US, reports The Packer.
Optimum growing conditions in Chile, a stronger US dollar and greater US demand are expected to draw larger volumes of high-quality Chilean grapes to North American shores this season compared to last, the paper said.
Initial shipments are expected to arrive from Friday onwards, with promotable volumes available in time for Christmas, it added.
This represents an improvement on last year, when shipments earmarked for the US were either late or diverted to Europe because of the weak US dollar, Tom Tjerandsen, marketing director for the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association is quoted as saying.
Changes in exchange rates should steer some Europe-bound grapes back to the US this season, he told The Packer. “We’re cautiously optimistic that it will be a stellar season,” he said.
Several trends could work in the Chilean grape industry’s favour this season, Mr Tjerandsen added: more people are eating at home; more grapes are available to school children through new programmes funded by the farm bill; and fast-food purveyors are using more grapes.
In addition, the imminent opening of new cold storage and methyl bromide-treatment facilities at the Port of Stockton, California, could attract incremental growth in West Coast shipments of Chilean grapes, he told The Packer.
North American import giant The Oppenheimer Group told the publication it expects to import 10-20 per cent more Chilean grapes this season than it did last year.
Oppenheimer’s initial consignments of Sugraones and Flames are scheduled to arrive from next week. The company also expects to import Thompsons, Crimsons, Autumn Royals, Red Globes and Muscats this season, Josh Leichter, Oppenheimer grape category director, is quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the first West Coast vessel with fruit for Los Angeles-based The Giumarra Company is expected to arrive around December 18-20, Craig Uchizono, vice president of Southern Hemisphere, told The Packer.
Both Oppenheimer and Giumarra told the paper they expected grape quality to be excellent.
Chilean shippers expect to export some 55m cartons this year, according to The Packer.
