Importers from around the world are again being invited to participate in Chilean grower federation Fedefruta's annual business round table. The third event of its kind will be held in Santiago on October 1-3 and aims to bring the country's growers closer to their customers in all continents.
Last year's round table attracted 55 receivers from the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and Fedefruta president Luis Schmidt is confident that the commercial success of the previous event will attract more participants in 2005. "The amount of business done as a result of the contacts made last year was impressive," he said. "More than 100 Fedefruta members found a new channel through which to export their products. We are not simply looking at the recognised, major Chilean fruit offer either, but at the entire horticultural portfolio. An Indian company, for instance, bought 60 per cent of Chile's export walnut crop after the 2004 round table, and there are plenty more crops with untapped potential."
Fedefruta has created a passport-controlled, web-based system to facilitate contact between overseas attendees and growers in Chile. Each participant enters their details and requirements into the system and can then cross-reference on the site and set up meetings and visits to growers in advance.
"Fedefruta is a not-for-profit organisation - once we have given participants the opportunity to make contacts, the rest is up to them," said Schmidt. "There are 7,000 growers in Chile and many of them are being left on the outside because the bigger players have so much power."
This year's round table will coincide with Fedefruta's annual convention and agm, as the federation celebrates 30 years in existence, and also the annual fresh produce fair in Santiago, giving the international visitors the opportunity to meet a wide cross-section of the Chilean horticultural community.
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