The Chilean table grapes industry didn't have a good start to the year, not only because of the effects of weather (which led to overstocking and a reduction in prices), but also because of the competition from Peruvian grapes, according to Chile's Diario Financiero.
According to Maria Ines Figari, the president of the Agricultural Society of the North (SAN) and director of the National Society of Agriculture (SNA) in Chile, the Peruvian factor has been the most important issue that they face because they are their competitors, as they export to the some of the same markets as Chilean grape producers, for example, to the US.
"Their plantations are much newer than ours, so the products they harvest have a much better quality. There's not much we can do against that," she said.
In turn, Fernando Sat, the president of the table grapes committee of the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile (Asoex), said that Peru was working "with nearly 100 patented varieties, which is the new revolution that is coming, and is here to stay."
Early harvest
According to the Chilean industry, the harvests began 10 to 15 days earlier than expected due to climate change. As a result, the best prices for this product didn't reach US$14 per box, which implies a loss of US$6, deducting transportation and production costs.
To date, according to Asoex, since the country has exported 69 million boxes, losses amount to US $42 million.
Source: gestion.pe
