On 4 June, the "Days of Fruit" kicked off in the Chilean pavilion at Expo Milan 2015, during which various activities were organised to promote Chilean fruit exports, focusing on products such as table grapes, apples, pears, kiwis, avocados and citrus.
The event was officially inaugurated by Asoex President Ronald Bown and Chile's Commissioner in Expo Milan, Lorenzo Constans.
Later, in the weekend, the President of the Republic, Michelle Bachelet, visited the Chilean pavilion. "While our country is a long, narrow strip of land on the southern end of the world, between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, we've always had a lot to show to the world. And much to share," said the President.
On the occasion, the President, accompanied by Ronald Bown, visited the fresh fruit displays at the pavilion (presented in fruit carts), stressing the importance this sector has for Chile's economy and exports. In this context, the president said "we are here, once again, showing the world the best of our country. And when I say best, I do not refer only to what undoubtedly is good, such as our natural resources, our natural products supplied from north to south, or our more than 4,000 kilometres of coastal territories, but I also mean the work of our people, those people who wake up early every morning to fish, work the land, or to harvest fruits and vegetables."
She also announced that, during the second half of the year, the bill intended to create the National System for Food Safety and Food Quality and the Chilean Agency for Food Safety and Quality will be sent to Parliament, "because, on the one hand, we have to adapt our products to the standards of the most demanding markets, but on the other hand, because we want to guarantee, both to the world and to Chilean consumers, that our products reach their tables in optimal quality conditions," she said.
For his part, Ronald Bown, president of Asoex, said: "Taking part in Expo Milan is important for us, since it allows us to show the progress made by our industry to the international markets, especially Europe's. The good reputation of our fruit is the result of the work carried out by our producers and exporters, who have collaborated closely with the public sector."
Bown added: "Europe is an important market for our exports; last season, over 560,000 tonnes of fresh fruit were shipped to this destination."
It is worth noting that, on 15 June, the Chilean Kiwi Committee will hold a technical workshop in the auditorium of the Chilean pavilion, which will serve to show European markets what the Chilean kiwifruit industry is doing to improve the quality and productivity, as well as its achievements and challenges.