One of Chile’s largest fruit exporters, Gesex, is banking on innovations in table grapes and stonefruit to boost its sales in the UK market. The company’s Felipe Casanova said the exporter is looking for new opportunities in the UK, particularly for its key product range.
“Our aim is to keep learning about the UK market, while also showcasing some fo the new varietal innovations that we have achieved in all of our products, including table grapes, cherries and other stonefruit,” he said.
Table grapes represent the biggest single export product for Gesex in the UK, with the grower shipping around 4,500 tonnes of red and green grapes to the market through its European subsidiary, Fruit Growers Alliance, every year.
Already a hugely important market for the company –representing 15 per cent of total export volume and 20 per cent of total turnover – Casanova believes further growth for Chilean fruit exports can still be achieved in the UK despite the mature nature of the market.
“Although we are talking about a mature market, supermarkets are trying to reduce the number of suppliers and increase the volume with existing ones,” he said. “We are confident we will keep growing with both red and green seedless grapes and we see the UK market as one of our targets specifically for red seedless.”
As a grower, some 85 per cent of Gesex’s total volume of fruit exports is sourced from its own production, meaning that the company can help facilitate direct contact between European retailers and Chilean growers.
“In contrast with traditional exporters, our growers have full visibility as regards the customers we are serving and the results they receive – this acts as motivation for our growers to keep improving quality as they will be rewarded as a result,” he explained.
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