Spot frosts are the only blight on what many Chilean produce suppliers say could be another record year of imports and high wintertime demand for Southern Hemisphere commodities.
“Because there is now consistent supply in fall and winter months, we are seeing a continuous growth,” said Maggie Bezart, Aptos, Calif.-based marketing director of the Chilean Avocado Importers Association, Washington, D.C. “We continually see lifts in our sales each month. Part of that reason is the consistent supply of the product, that there are so many more new users and very strong media attention.”
Tom Tjerandsen, marketing manager for the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association, Sonoma, Calif., pointed out that, with Chile’s geographic position, there is still substantial room for growth in per-capita consumption in the U.S.
“If you consider that one of the significant factors in global trade is the food miles, Chile is uniquely positioned,” he said. “Not only to be quick to port and loaded, but it has a shorter distance to the U.S. than other Southern Hemisphere competitors.”
Mario Flores, blueberry product manager for Naturipe Farms LLC, Naples, Fla., said improved technologies and Chile’s focus on the export market mean the country has to produce the best quality product for consumer shelves in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
“There are a lot of improved technologies,” he said. “It’s not like it’s a South American developing country that doesn’t have the necessary technologies — they do.”
Eric Crawford, owner of Fresh Results LLC, Weston, Fla., highlighted the “incredible demand” for commodities like blueberries on a year-round basis.
“If that continues, you’re going to start to see more fruit coming in by air, and really one of the biggest factors (for) that demand to sustain itself is the quality,” he said. “All indications are that quality out of Chile is going to be excellent. If quality continues to be very, very good, then the demand is going to continue to be very, very good.”
When comparing last year’s deal — which coincided with the peak of the recession — to this year’s deal, Brian Bocock, vice president of sales for Naturipe Farms, said there is a great deal more optimism.
“One thing I took out of PMA (the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit on Oct. 2-5 in Anaheim, Calif.) is that last year there was an awful lot of talk about the economy. This year, it was very refreshing, we were back to where business should be,” he said. “There was some chatter about the economy, but we were back to how do we grow our businesses together.”
Frost effects
The Chilean Fresh Fruit Association’s Tjerandsen said there have been spot frosts in different areas of Chile but in general the main production areas have not been adversely affected.
“We are probably — because of continued cool weather — are running about 10 days behind last year on virtually every commodity,” he said.
“The frost has particularly affected the grapes and some cherries,” said Peter Kopke, president of William H. Kopke Jr., Lake Success, N.Y.
In the stone fruit crops, Evan Myers, stone fruit category manager in the Newark, Del. Office of The Oppenheimer Group, Vancouver, British Columbia, said weather has not had a major effect.
“In talking to some of our early growers, everything is on schedule,” he said. “Weather conditions look good. Eating quality of the stone fruit over the last couple of years has improved dramatically.”
Market maturation
Tjerandsen highlighted the promotable volumes by early December of a variety of crops including cherries, apricots, blueberries and avocados.
“So far it looks like we’re going to have pretty substantial volumes,” he said of the blueberry crop. Speaking about avocados, he noted, “What they are going to tell you is that it has been an almost perfect storm. California finished early and Chile started early — I mean substantially early — and has been shipping.”
Bezart emphasized Chile’s outstanding quality avocados.
“That’s how we compete, with quality, consistency and excellent marketing programs,” she said. “It’s just more consistency on vessels. There are definitely no issues on moving the fruit and in packing this fruit.”
Bezart said movement this year was more fluid than last year, when volumes were much lower because of a severe freeze.
Other improvements this year come by way of better communication, Flores said.
Robert Verloop, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Naturipe Farms, described the evolution of the Chilean blueberry industry as a market maturation that will help to create greater consistency between Michigan, Argentina and Chile.
“Technology is starting to catch up. We are seeing fewer dips in supply,” he said
Varietal improvements are also helping to give exporters more options when a freeze affects one growing region, he said.
“We are always trying to find a better way and newer ways to improve offering, improve market timing and so forth,” Flores said. “And it’s great for the industry that there’s such a wonderful talent pool of educated folks that are in the industry.”