According to data from ASOEX, Chile has already shipped 956,015 boxes of table grapes to different target markets, mainly of the Flame seedless, Sugraone, Thomson Seedless, Prime, and Perlette varieties. More than 100,000 boxes of each of these varieties have been exported.
Regarding the development of the 2015-2016 export campaign, the chairman of ASOEX's Table Grape Committee, Fernando Sat, told SimFRUIT: "We will achieve a normal volume of exports this season, if there are no negative weather events. It should be a normal year volume-wise. Chile traditionally exports between 90 million and 100 million boxes, so we think we should achieve a similar number."
Sat added that Europe would see a small decrease in exports this season, just as in the last season, "basically because of the exchange rate and some requirements imposed by certain European markets, where food safety aspects are confused with technical aspects."
In this sense, the professional said that there would be an enhancement of domestic volumes to the Asia market, without forgetting the customers in other markets. "We are greatly increasing our volumes towards Asia, mainly to China, Korea and Southeast Asia, especially regarding the seedless varieties".
"We have an increase in new varieties, mainly seedless ones, which is good so that we can have a more diverse supply and quality. The United States is a market where we are leveraging these new varieties. They have had a very good reception. I'd rather not talk about a specific variety, as it would diminish the good quality that they all have. This is the way to go and the industry has understood it. They are planting new varieties and the American supermarkets are buying them because they already know them and they meet their quality, size, and taste requirements," said the President of the Committee.
Current season
So far this season (up until December 15) Chile has exported more than 950,000 boxes of table grapes to different markets.
In terms of target markets, North America (US and Canada) continues to lead exports with a total of 935,764 boxes of Chilean table grapes. It is followed by Latin America, with 16,394 boxes, and Asia, with 3,857 boxes shipped.
