A table grape variety developed by Chile's Agricultural Research Institute (INIA) has been packed for export as fair trade produce for the British market.

With support from government funding and producer group Fedefruta, five growers from Santa María, San Felipe obtained fair trade certification for their farms, and will be the first to export fair trade INIAgrape-one grapes.

"MiFrutaChile is the only group in the country certified as fair trade to trade tabel grapes, which for the clients - mainly Europeans - means they are willing to pay a premium for a differentiated consumption, thinking about the societal and family support behind the product," said project manager Leonardo Valenzuela.

He said the variety was 100% Chilean and highlighted for its easy field management, color, flavor and excellent post-harvest condition - ideal for markets around the world.

"INIAgrape-one is a black variety and in the market no more than 3% of grapes arondu the world are like that, so it has a niche, its segment, with better prices," Valenzuela said.

"This is the bet this group is taking to differentiate themselves and improve their returns."

Fedefruta managing director Juan Carlos Sepúlveda said the development was proof of how small growers could access the latest in Chile's genetic technology without barriers, to gain a good position on the global market.

Sepúlveda said these efforts to export the variety joined the work of larger exporters in the same Aconcagua Valley to ship the variety, including Agrícola Brown and GLS Internacional which have been sending INIAgrape-one to England, China and South Korea since last season.

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