Looking ahead to the fruit season, and especially to the export of Chilean cherries, the Valparaíso Logistics Forum (FOLOVAP), the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile (ASOEX) and businessmen of the field, met in an extraordinary way this week to analyse and evaluate the demands of the Chinese market and the recent notification by the authorities of this country to inspect cargo and its containers, in order to avoid possible traces of Covid-19 in food products.
Franco Gandolfo, general manager of EPV and president of FOLOVAP, has led a meeting where preventive measures for exports were evaluated in light of Chinese demands. Also present were Roberto Fernández, regional director of Customs; Ramón Espejo, director of the Customs Chamber; in addition to the ASOEX Ports Committee, representatives of the SAG, concessionaires, extra-ports and warehouses, shipping companies and the Shipper Association (Agembfrut).
Valparaíso is one of the main fruit exporting ports in the country, since according to the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies, so far this year (January-August) 40% of Chile's fruit has left for Valparaíso. That is, 1,1 million of the 2,7 million tons of fruit that have been exported, has been made from the port of Valparaíso.
At the same time, in recent years the export of Cherry has gained great importance in the industry and, as of November, the service shared by the shipping companies Hapag Lloyd, ONE, HMM and MSC has become the official service for the export of this product to Asia, mainly China, whose transit time will be approximately 22 days and its first departure is scheduled for next November 11, with the Cauquenes ship sailing from Valparaíso.
Source: blueberriesconsulting.com
