Chilean kiwifruit is suffering from a shortage of water, following damage to irrigation channels caused by last month’s earthquakes.

The majority of production of the fruit in Chile is centred in the VI, VII and VIII regions, where many orchards have been left short of water, according to the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee.

The result is small sizing and growers’ group Fedefruta is appealing to growers not to send sub-standard fruit to market and risk damaging the image of Chilean kiwifruit internationally.