About 185,000 tons of Chilean agricultural products are shipped to overseas markets from Valparaiso, which implies a higher cost that would skirt the USD 100 million annually
Fresh fruit farmers could save $ 100 million a year if production goes abroad via the
port of Coquimbo, which is not always the case; since only 39% of regional production is exported via this port terminal.
According to a study by the Agricultural Society of the North (SAN), the production of fresh fruit in the region reaches 434,000 tons per year, of this volume 303,000 tons is exported.
Of the total shipped, 185,000 tons left Valparaiso and San Antonio, this is explained, according to producers and authorities, by the absence of an office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) which certifies the source of good quality fruit that travels to the U.S., as well as an adequate infrastructure for shipping at the local port, among other factors.
Source: Diario El Día