Two of Chile’s biggest nurseries join forces

Two leading Chilean nurseries have joined forces in a bid to shake up the country’s fruit industry by tackling issues like a loss of competitiveness and climate change.

Nueva Vid, known for its extensive footprint in the table grape industry, and holding company Grupo Hijuelas have entered into a partnership to scale the production of fruit plants globally.

Gaspar Goycoolea, president of Grupo Hijuelas, commented: “The most beautiful thing of all is that two families come together in a common dream: to make better plants for a better development of agriculture on a global level.

“They are synergies that come together for the development of Chilean fruit growing. “Chile needs to shake off the bad vibes and break with years of inertia to move towards a new kind of fruit growing”.

Highlighting the need for renewal in Chile’s fruit sector, Jorge Valenzuela, the main partner of Nueva Vid and former president of Fedefruta, said: “Renewal comes hand in hand with genetics, quality, technology and the support that Nueva Vid today, by joining Grupo Hijuelas, will be able to provide to producers in Chile, Latin America and the world”.

Juan Ignacio Goycoolea, general manager of Grupo Hijuelas, said the deal would allow the partners to diversify their portfolio and reach new markets with new products.

“The idea is not only to integrate the experience that Nueva Vid has in table and wine grapes to our ecosystem, but also to jointly expand the product portfolio focused on larger fruit trees on the Grupo Hijuelas platform, such as cherry and stonefruit trees, with certified products and finished plants,” he said.

Valenzuela pointed out that Chile must renew and change to become a relevant actor in the Southern Hemisphere. “This renewal is necessary at a global level due to changes in consumer habits. Today’s consumers require different, high-quality products,” he said.

“This message is not only for the producers, but it is also for the investment funds that believe in food, believe in fruit and that all start from the nurseries in this chain that need these funds, these new investments, safe, quality products, and that behind them are professional, responsible people who can provide that support.”