The first consignments of table grapes left northern Chile this week, marking the start of the new season.
According to Lina Arrieta, president of Copiapó grower-exporter association Apeco, in terms of production 2014/15 is shaping up to be a good season. “In the past three years the export crop has been around 10m cartons but for this year we are expecting a total of 11-11.5m cartons,” she said. “Given that there have been no major climatic events, the quality of the crop are very favourable – fruit has achieved a good size and colour, and there is a lot of fruit on the vines.”
The bulk of the early crop supplies the pre-Christmas market in the US and subsequently Asian markets, notably China, South Korea and Japan. Smaller quantities are also shipped to the UK and Russia.
Perlette, Thompson, Flame and Superior are the main early varieties grown in the region, although Arrieta said trials of new varieties, amongst them Prime, Allison, Arra15, Timco and Ralli, are also being carried out.
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