Despite facing enormous logistical challenges and the need to broaden the appeal that figs have on consumers, Chilean fruit exporters intend to dramatically increase the consumption of figs in the world.
Cristian Muñoz Careaga, CEO of Hortofrutícola Sudamericana, said they wouldn't be able to open new markets due to the perishable nature of the figs, unless they had adequate air connections that allowed them to move the fruit from the orchards to the stores within days. "Right now we are positioned in more than five countries and we are constantly looking for new ones, but we have to be able to move the figs quickly via a direct flight," he said.
Hortofrutícola Sudamericana's main markets are England, where it caters to almost all the major supermarket chains, and the U.S., which wasn't open until April 2011, after the government approved the import of Chilean figs. "Those two markets are the biggest, but we also export to France, Canada, and some small amounts to Switzerland, Hong Kong and Dubai," he said.
While a normal fig season runs from late February to May, the tree also produces a fruit of inferior quality for a couple of weeks in December, which grows from growth spurts from the previous season. "These figs are very large, but the trees produce very few of them," he said.
Muñoz said that, currently, the company was trying to stimulate worldwide interest in figs, but that they had struggled with the large portions of fruit being sold to consumers, and with informing the public about the fruit's uses.
Hortofrutícola Sudamericana is also investigating how to transport figs by sea so they can increase sales.
"The main difficulty with figs is the lack of commercial flights to the places we would like to export to. We would like to be able to send figs by boat someday, as this would lower costs dramatically. We would have to control the environment in the shipping containers, so we're going to be working in that area," Muñoz said.
The possible adoption of figs as a "superfood" by the FDA, due to its high antioxidant and fibre, could also significantly increase consumer interest.
Hortofrutícola Sudamericana also grows pomegranates, radicchio, persimmons, loquats and chicory. "What I like about these rare products is that there is less competition. You don't have to compete with big business. I can develop my own niche market," said Muñoz.
Muñoz currently only sells the Black Mission fig variety, although in the last five years the company has been developing more. In the past, the company also cultivated the Kodotas variety, but they discovered it was too perishable for practical purposes.
The company usually produces about 25 metric tons of fresh figs per year, but the frost of this year destroyed around 50% of this season's production.
Muñoz said that the best area to grow the fruit was around Santiago because of its Mediterranean climate and proximity to the international airport.
Source: Fresh Fruit Portal