According to reports in the Chilean press, rainstorms are affecting fruit crops that were destined for export in a few months time. Rainfall was heavy during the third week of August and the VI, VII and Metropolitan regions of the country are facing difficult situations. Luis Schmidt, president of growers' federation Fedefruta was reported in Chilean weekly Revista del Campo, saying that early plums, cherries and apricots in the areas are suffering from fruit-set problems because of the rains.

'The cherries are due for export at the end of October and beginning of November,' Schmidt is quoted. 'The same thing is happening with early plums and apricots which are the varieties which have been hardest hit by the phenomenon.' And further rainfall has also prevented some growers getting into their orchards to apply fungicides to reduce incidence of disease. Although definitive figures are not available yet, the inability to spray affected trees is likely to have a further knock-on effect on fruit set in early varieties.

With thinning of trees yet to come in the spring, producers will be able to manage the amount of fruit their tees are carrying, but Schmidt was reported saying that some apricot orchards in the VI and Metropolitan regions have almost no fruit set on the trees at all.

Rainfall in the Metropolitan region has been 300 per cent higher than usual this winter and regions VIII, IX and X have also experienced much higher levels.

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