The peak of grape supply from Chile is starting with 38 million boxes expected to be exported worldwide until week 12 which is 27 percent less than last season. (Peak supply is expected from now until week 13.) "We are continuing in a season with more demand than offer," says Pascuala Vergara Sabaini, Chile country manager for Salix Fruits, adding that it has volume on white and red seedless grapes followed by less quantity in black seedless and Red Globe grapes.
This continues the pattern of overall less volume from Chile this season on grapes. "The third and fourth regions have fallen 20 percent compared to their estimate. Chile is expecting less than 55 million boxes for this year," says Vergara Sabaini.
In varietal notes, Chile now has more licensed varieties than traditional varieties available. In white seedless varieties, the big volume is in Sweet Globe, Arra 15, and Autumn Crisp. In red seedless, it has Crimson, Allison, SweetCelebration, and Timco and in black seedless varieties, the volume is in Autumn Royal and Midnight Beauty. "We started with Red Globe but the season is also late and has exported only 50 percent of the volume in comparison with the last season," adds Vergara Sabaini.
Indeed, harvest in Chile started earlier in the northern growing region but the other regions have been late and it's expected that Chile will end its grape harvest towards the middle to end of April. Right now, supply is coming from the fifth, sixth, and Metropolitana regions. "The conditions will be good if we don't have any rain before the end of the harvests," says Vergara Sabaini.
Consumption shifting to newer varieties
As for demand, it is still increasing and it continues to outpace the supply. Vergara Sabaini says the consumption of grapes has gotten stronger year after year on licensed varieties over older varieties such as Thompson Seedless, Crimson, and Red Globe.
All of this is leaving pricing high and firm all season because the demand for Chilean grapes has outweighed supply.
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