Last Thursday’s earthquake in Chile, the second in three weeks, is said to have caused little damage to the country’s exporting infrastructure.
The central zone of Chile was shaken by a series of aftershocks ranging from 6.9 in magnitude on the richter scale downwards last week.
The earthquake hit strongly in both Santiago and its surrounding areas and authorities evacuated major coastal areas in precautionary measures, in case of possible flooding.
There were some temporary electricity distribution cuts but the Rapel Dam, located close to the epicentre of the tremors, escaped unscathed.
Chilean Exporters’ Association (Asoex) chairman Ronald Bown said: “The tremors… have been intense, but have not caused major damage to the industry's infrastructure or ports.
“We have received some reports in some rural areas of packing facilities temporarily closing during the day in order to allow workers to check on their homes and family, but apart from this the industry and ports keep on working to full capacity.”
Aseox is still estimating that with the exception of a short-term gap in arrivals this week, late-season shipments from Chile should be relatively normal.
The industry portal, www.chileanfreshfruit.com, will continue to provide news regarding emerging factors that potentially influence any portion of the fruit distribution system.
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