Chile: International Pink Lady® Congress

During the first week of June 2015, the first "International Pink Lady® Congress: best practices from orchard to packing", will be organised by the International Pink Lady® Alliance (IPLA), the ASOEX Pink Lady committee and Viveros Requinoa.

The event will be held at the Monticello Conference Centre, located in Panamericana Sur km 57, San Francisco de Mostazal, Chile.

According to organisers, the main objective of the conference is to bring attendees up to date with the best agronomic practices for the production of quality Pink Lady® apples.

The Congress will feature presentations by national and international experts in the field, who will address various aspects, from the planting of the orchard to the fruit's export.

The participation of producers, agronomists, agricultural technicians and exporters is expected, as well as of consultants and suppliers of inputs and services related to the Pink Lady® brand, both national and international.

To find out some facts about this brand in Chile, SimFRUIT spoke with Juan Enrique Concha Ureta, Vice President of Viveros Requinoa, who said that one of the key aspects in the apple's production is the "post-harvest shelf life, which makes it possible to supply markets in September-October, as well as the control of shipments to prevent oversupply."

He also stated that one of the problems the sector is currently facing is the lack of knowledge. "Ignorance regarding the promotion and marketing of the fruit produced in Chile, and distrust in the system," he said.

Regarding the methods necessary to obtain a quality Pink Lady, the representative said that "it is essential to take into account the different climates in Chile where the fruit is produced, which means management must be designed and adapted for each of them to be able to control sunburn and bruises."

As for the actions being carried out with the brand, Correa stated: "The Pink Lady's production and productive system are regulated, so that only what the markets can consume is shipped. There are also checks on the plantations, with tree certifications, all geared to control the supply and maximise returns for producers, ensuring at the same time that there's always quality fruit in the market."

In recent years, new Cripps Pink clones have been released, whose introduction in Chile would be beneficial. "The new clones produce better quality fruit, with a better colour, resulting in a better presentation. This also helps prevent having to wait for the fruit to reach the desired colour, thus reducing the risk of harvesting overripe fruit."