Unexpected rainfall in March has had an impact on the size and colouring of Royal Gala apples harvested in and around the Metropolitan Region of Chile this year.
This will reduce the total exportable Royal Gala deal to around 265,000 tonnes - 10 per cent less than in 2006-07, Santiago-based fruit industry service provider Decofrut estimates.
However, Chilean growers are forecasting a good season for Braeburn and Red Delicious apple exports to Europe.
On the grape front, Decofrut believes that in 2006-07, Chile will still export over 690,000t, thanks in part to strong sales of Red Globe and Sugraone in Chile’s main table grape market, the US.
Ronald Bown, the president of the Chilean Exporters Association, declared: “The current season is presenting unique challenges for sectors of our industry, which has grown steadily and successfully for 20 years now. The fact that we are faced with these conditions and are still set to harvest and ship nearly 700,000 tonnes of table grapes, for example, is a credit to our growers’ commitment to our global fresh fruit partners.”
An emerging market in the form of Russia is also providing a boon for Chilean growers. The country looks set to remain Chile’s number-three European market this season.
Overall exports of Chilean fresh fruit to Russia in 2006-07 totalled 64,770 tonnes, year-on-year growth of 31.5 percent. The two biggest-selling products were - and will be again this year - table grapes and apples, the latter helped by good stock movement in Europe.
Christian Carvajal, the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) Europe-Asia marketing manager, said: “Europe is evolving as a market for imported fruit, and Russia is certainly one of the more dynamic facets. The growth of retail penetration and demand there spells good news for all growers and exporters.”
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