South America
Fresh produce industry news and analysis from South America.
Tevel secures funding for flying robot harvesters
Israel-based agritech company raises US$18m in Series C funding as it works to address labour shortages in fruit supply chains
BerryWorld signs up padel’s world number one
Supplier announces Delfi Brea as company’s brand ambassador for 2026, part of a strategy to connect with health-conscious consumers
French growers seek new opportunities in Ecuador
Producers looking to expand apple exports to the Andean nation and open the door to other products
Comment: The quiet recalibration of India’s fruit imports
Soma Sengputa, trade advisor at Flanders Investment & Trade, unpacks the true impact of India’s recent free trade deal ‘blitz’
Court ruling deals blow to Chilean cherry exporters in Maersk Saltoro case
Chile’s Constitutional Court rejects Maersk’s liability and upholds compensation limit
Peru heading for new table grape record as season winds down
As of week 11, shipments stood at 84.6mn cartons compared to 82.5mn cartons for the whole of the 2024/25 campaign
Is the UK grape market heading from feast to famine?
Analysis from UK fruit importer Richard Hochfeld predicts a switch from a demand-driven to a supply-driven market in the UK around week 16
Peru anticipates weak El Niño in 2026
Central Reserve Bank of Peru report predicts weather phenomenon will have limited impact on fruit crops
Berry business faces up to new challenges as growth continues
Investment in varieties, segmentation, marketing and technology will help build more profitable berry business, delegates heard at Fruitnet Berry Congress
The real reasons behind the rise of blueberries
Fruitnet’s Mike Knowles speaks exclusively to Cort Brazelton, CEO of Fall Creek, about the product’s recent impressive growth
Bloom Fresh escalates enforcement in Peru
Breeder initiates new legal actions against illegal grape plantings and ramps up monitoring efforts
‘Resilience is about more than just multiple origins’
Wealmoor CEO Avnish Malde tells Fred Searle about the grower-importer’s rich history, his journey into fresh produce, and why supply resilience is in the firm’s DNA
Mission Produce reports Q1 loss amid avocado pricing pressure
Integration planning continues for the pending Calavo Growers acquisition, expected to close in the fiscal third quarter
Tropic secures US$105mn to scale gene-edited banana production
Company plans to scale production of climate-resilient and non-browning varieties, with commercial launches due in 2027
Grupo Hijuelas expands into France
Move represents a key step in the company’s goal of becoming a global platform for the propagation and commercialisation of plant material
GPG says Chilean blueberry industry is in “transition, not decline”
Co-owner Jamie Petchell toured the country’s blueberry growing regions and saw a business that is adapting to meet current challenges
‘Some fruit supply chains may no longer be viable’
Reefer shipping expert and former Maersk Line executive Thomas Eskesen explains what conflict in the Middle East means for the fresh produce business
Calls mount for cut in Chilean cherry acreage
Some stakeholders suggest up to 30,000ha should be eradicated to tackle oversupply and falling prices
Colombian Hass avocados put in strong performance in 2025
Exports grew 21.3 per cent last year, with Europe consolidating its position as the main destination
Airfreight powers Peru’s fresh produce export boom
Fresh fruit and vegetables accounted for 76.3 per cent of Peru’s air cargo export volume
Beta announces major blueberry expansion
Peruvian company will have more than 2,040ha under cultivation in 2026
Chilean trial seeks to grow grapes with half the amount of water
First crop picked has been sent for post-harvest testing to assess fruit quality
Ecuadorean pitahayas post strong export growth
Shipments rose 9.1 per cent in volume and 32 per cent in value last year
‘Customer focus key to growing avocado category’
Fred Searle speaks to Wim Destoop, global chief customer officer of Westfalia Fruit, about the avo supplier’s customer-led marketing strategy, the potential of the Gem variety, and the growing importance of supply diversification
Ecuador and Brazil join forces to tackle banana diseases
Two countries forge alliance to develop bananas resistant to Fusarium and Moko disease
Chilean avocado consumption keeps on growing
Per capita consumption has risen from 2kg in 2000 to almost 9kg in 2025
Fruitnet Berry Congress still the best place to track innovation in berries
Conference and networking event brings business leaders together to discuss better products, stronger supply chains, and new market trends
Agri-food is the top sector for seasonal worker abuse, report finds
New analysis has found the global agri-food sector saw most alleged instances of abuse against seasonal workers with UK retailers among 600 major employers linked to cases
Fyffes Partnership for Good generates female business plans in Costa Rica
Collaboration between Trudi’s banana brand and Care International UK has seen 228 rural women participate in structured training
Global shipping crises “the new normal” say LatAm exporters
As the Gulf conflict enters its fifth day, companies say they have become accustomed to adapting to logistics disruption
Comment: Middle East conflict threatens European exports
Philippe Binard of Freshfel Europe considers the potential fallout for fresh produce suppliers after military action escalated in the Middle East
The Fresh Ideas Show: Are fruit and veg trendy at last?
Hear about the latest fresh produce business trends in the latest episode of Fruitnet’s video podcast, sponsored by Kanzi apples
Spain’s Mercosur fresh produce trade reaches €334m
Spanish fresh produce exports to the South American trading bloc reached €67mn last year, while imports totalled €267mn
Banana exporters weigh up options as Mideast war intensifies
With Ecuador in peak season, shippers are in a race to find alternative buyers and routes to market
Strong start to 2026 for Ecuadorean banana exports
Shippers benefit from production problems in Central America and Asia
CR banana sector boosts formal employment and economic stability
Banana cultivation generated 41,759 direct jobs and more than 100,000 indirect jobs during 2025