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photo report
Chile surprises: in spite of the current challenges of the local situation

Chile is well known due to its impressive longitude, more than 4000 kilometers from the Northern part to the Southern and at the same time the narrowest country with a maximum of 150 km. These characteristics give to Chile an outstanding position since it has a very diverse climate where growers can cultivate almost any product of a template temperature. Additionally, Chile has a natural phytosanitary protection on one side to the west the Pacific Ocean and on the other side to the east the Andean range.

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Chile has more than 7,800 growers (with more than 5 hectares) for a total of around 250.000 hectares, 518 exporting companies (which 92% are affiliated to ASOEX) export 62% of the domestic production. Fruit varieties exports counts for more than 70 being the most important during the campaign 2006/2007: table grapes (802.193 tons), apples (793.235 ton), avocados (168.261 ton), kiwis (160.530 ton), pears (112.892 ton), plums (105.703 ton) among others for a total of 2.430.265 tons. Thus, Chile is the first world exporter from the Southern hemisphere. Worldwide, it is the first in table grapes and plums, and the second in avocados.

The diversity of fruit is so large in Chile, that it has as much as 100 destination countries, which Canada and US share 40%, Europe 29%, Latin America 17% and the emerging markets from the near and far east which reach a remaining 13%.

The current economy in Chile has been one of the main challenges since the country starts its race as a fruit power. The increasing in production and international prices have been positive against the revaluation of Chilean peso in front of the dollar, drought and increasing production costs (particularly energy and labor). Aditionally Chile surprises with the toughness of its firms representatives all around the value chain to consolidate Chile as a world power of fresh produce. For that it counts with the support in production of FEDEFRUTA and in exports of ASOEX both guilds that develop a set of programs to support producers as well as exporters to reach its objectives.



More information:
ASOEX
Chilean Exporters Association
www.chileanfreshfruit.com
www.asoex.cl

Publication date: 4/2/2008
Author: Jahir Lombana
Copyright: www.freshplaza.com

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