Fruit sendings from Chile’s major fresh produce export port Terminal Pacifico Sur Valparaiso (TPS) rose by 16 per cent year on year for the season from November 2011 to the end of March 2012.
More than 695,000 tonnes in total were sent in containers or on pallets in reefer vessels from the port compared to 596,848t for the same period last season. The season started slowly in November due to climatic factors, the port said in a statement, as well as due to low exchange rates but sendings rose steadily to reach a 30 per cent upswing for the month of February compared to February 2011. Grapes and apples have dominated sendings. TPS general manager Francesco Schiaffino said: “This has been a very intense season. AS well as an increase in fruit sendings, we have also experienced a rise in general container cargo….Between November and March there has been an average of 1,000 vehicles a day at the terminal.”
