According to industry figures, in the last five years, Chilean fruit exports have fallen by 3% and there have been hard falls in various species, such as kiwis, avocadoes, pears, blueberries, lemons, clementines, peaches, and grapes; a fruit in which Chile has historically been a world leader.
In an interview with EmolTV the president of the Association of Fruit Exporters (Asoex), Ivan Marambio, said that even though climate change is exerting significant pressure on the Chilean fruit industry the most important factor behind this fall is Peru, which has become a very strong competitor, hitting mainly the grape and blueberry industries.
“Historically, Chile used to be the world's leading exporter of grapes. It's a traditional product of Chile. But we no longer are the leading exporters. Now, Peru is the main exporter,” Marambio stated.
“There was a moment when we exported 110 million boxes of grapes a year; this year we are going to export 60 million,” he said. "Meanwhile, Peru went from exporting 6 million boxes a year to more than 70 million."
“Peru is benefiting from climate issues. It has a warmer climate than Chile, it's less cold, so its adaptability conditions are greater."
Source: emol.com