Chilean nut producers and exporters, grouped in Chilenut, couldn't be happier as they are achieving the biggest volumes ever and the best prices in their history.
The nut sector is driving Chilean horticulture, thanks to its growth in recent years and current business results. The sector went from exporting US $25 million FOB 2002 to $321.6 million dollars in twelve years, which translates into an increase of 1,186% in exports of this nut.
Moreover, last year the nut industry exported 52,000 tons, 13.8% more than in the 2013 season, which held the record shipments. Prices have also increased, from an average $2.3 dollars per kilo in 2002 to $6.2 last season.
Walnut plantations in Chile are also on the rise and it is already the main fruit crop in the metropolitan region, displacing the table grapes because of their better management in the context of water scarcity, reduced demand for manpower and greater options of mechanization processes in the orchards.
The factors for this industry's boom are: record exports, record prices, production processes adapted to the current weather and working conditions, and the renowned quality of the Chilean nut in the markets where it is consumed. The industry will meet on Tuesday at Casa Piedra in the 2015 version of ExpoNut, the top event for dried fruits in the Southern Hemisphere, which is organized by Chilenut (Association of Producers and Exporters of Chilean Nuts).
Successes and Challenges
"Chilenut will present Chile's figures regarding world production of walnuts to major players in the industry, both producers and buyers, and will host a luxury event so the Chilean nut can increase its growth and the prestige of its nut quality, taste and safety," said Juan Luis Vial, president of the association. Luis Vial will be discussing the successes and main challenges of the sector in front of the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Furche, the director of ProChile, Paiva Roberto, and more than 400 attendees at the event.
"The next challenge is to open the market for unshelled nuts in China, because they import 95% of their nuts in that condition," said the president of Chilenut. Currently, Chile is able to export shelled nuts to China thanks to a public-private effort that led to the Asian giant to grant these nuts access to their market. "We have the quality, safety and plant health standards to entice China and to respond to their demands," he said.
Juan Luis Vial will speak about how the sector needs to take care so it can be sustainable over time, and will make it so producers think about the decisions they make to avoid the collapse of the national nut exports sector in face of the business and productive boom experienced by the industry.
ExpoNut will be a convention where national and international experts, such as Giuseppe Calcagni, Vice President of International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation, will address technical and commercial issues related to various nuts so producers can have a global business perspective of the nut sector and to place Chile on the map in this fruit's niche. Similarly, Chilenut will hold an exhibition with stands and companies providing services and products to exporters of nuts, such as banking, machinery, nurseries, agrochemical companies, packaging, business intelligence, and specialized media.
Source: eleconomistaamerica.cl