WHM Fresh is on the verge of kicking off the table grape season in Chile with early varieties such as Sweet Celebration, Sweet Jubilee, and Timpson. "The team is charged, and the fruit is coming along very nicely and on track for harvest," says Victor Esguep, WHM Fresh General Manager in Chile. Victor recently joined WHM Fresh to lead the team with his vast knowledge and experience and with the aim of bringing new clients to the company's portfolio.
Sweet Celebration table grapes on the WHM Farm, Agrícola León in Chile.
"Our volumes are confirmed with good yielding at our farm, Agrícola León, as well as with our partner growers. Our focus this year will be sending grapes from Chile to the US, Europe, and the UK, and Chilean blueberries also to the UK. Aside from this, we are working to set the winter season for citrus fruits for the US market," explains Esguep.
Sweet Jubilee table grapes on the WHM Farm, Agrícola León in Chile
2025 will be the first year the US market takes a larger proportion of the team's fruit due to an increase in volumes and company growth. Esguep says, "We're facing an active market and good prices, especially in the US for seedless varieties. Currently, the market is strong selling mainly Peruvian grapes, so we expect it to remain the same at least until around March time." Of the European market, company Founder and CEO Matias Gonzalez adds, "Europe is a market we appreciate for its stability and good relationships; it was our starting point and has proved to be the solid base from which we have grown. So far the 2025 season has seen earlier agreements on tenders from retailers as well as a dedication towards consumption in terms of varieties that taste great and will undoubtedly result in repeat sales. New varieties have given a new life to the industry and if we play our cars right, it will lead to good results for this season, and for following seasons as we foresee an overall increase in demand."
Sweet Jubilee table grapes on the WHM Farm, Agrícola León in Chile.
The launch of the Systems Approach for Chilean table grapes that took place last year is working well and has started to show positive results. It replaces methyl bromide fumigation with a series of mitigation measures at the origin and avoids breaks in the cold chain. This improves not only the overall quality and taste of the fruit but also the condition of the fruit in the destination market i.e., longer shelf life, faster delivery, and a reduced carbon footprint – all factors allowing it to become more competitive in the face of growing competition from other Southern Hemisphere countries that ship grapes to the US market. The WHM Fresh team is keen to see how customers will benefit from repeat sales and is excited to receive feedback from end consumers for the 2025 season.
For more information:
Matias Gonzalez Rojas
WHM FRESH
Tel: +44 (0)7901 971252
[email protected]
www.whmfresh.com