The Chilean Table Grape Committee, part of the country brand Frutas de Chile, updated its export projection for the 2025-26 season, forecasting a total volume of over 63,6 million 18-pound boxes. This represents a slight 6.4 percent decrease compared to the previous year, but is very much in line with the first projection, standing only 0.5 percent above that previous forecast.
Ignacio Caballero, executive director of the Table Grape Committee, explained that the increasing volume of new varieties has driven growth this year.
“We anticipate that new varieties will reach 72 percent of the total shipments, which is higher than the 67 percent of last season and the 71 percent expected in the first estimate,” he added.
Caballero highlighted that this updated forecast takes into account data from more growers, accounting for 86 percent of last season’s total export volume.
Frutas de Chile projects that by the end of the country’s export window, new varieties will total over 45 million boxes.
Taking the lead among the newcomers is Sweet Globe, with just over 7 million boxes, representing more than a 30 percent increase over last season and a 17 percent uptick versus the committee’s first estimate.
Runner-up Autumncrisp is totaling over six million boxes, showing 33 percent growth from last year and a 19 percent increase compared to the first forecast.
Traditional varieties will reach over 8 million boxes, with many deflating significantly in volume. This is the case of Thompson Seedless, which is projected to experience a decline in its volumes by over 20 percent compared to 2024, totaling slightly 1.5 million boxes. This represents a dramatic 37 percent decrease compared to the committee’s first projection.
Red Globe, another traditional variety in the Chilean market, is holding steady. Frutas de Chile projects over 9 million boxes for the grape, but the number still falls below the brand’s first estimate, showing a nearly 5 percent drop.
Compared to last season, Chilean table grape volumes are shifting, and while the Latin American market is expected to expand by 20 percent, Asia and North America will decline by 21 percent and 9 percent, respectively.
“The growth of new varieties continues to be the engine pushing our industry forward, allowing us to offer better fruit to international markets,” said Caballero.
The executive explained that this season's challenge for Chilean exporters lies in managing exit logistics. He said there’s more fruit between weeks 6 and 10 compared to last year, and less volume in weeks 14 to 17.
*All images are referential
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