So far, because there has been good movement of fruit within the U.S. market, grape quality has been strong.
According to Kurt Neuling, manager of the Transforma Fruticultura Sustentable Program (Perfruts), the situation "is serious and impacts sustainability, the rural world, and communities."
Members of the industry and exporters see this as a great opportunity to test out the system and see how it could be implemented in other regions of the country, as well as other export markets like the U.S.
After 20 years of work the Systems Approach has been authorized by the technical organizations of both the U.S. and Chile, it now awaits publication in the Federal Register by the USDA.
For the upcoming 2023-24 term, the U.S. is projected to take 56% of overall shipments, with Asia and Europe following with a 19% and 16% share, respectively.
We spoke with Andrés Rodríguez, agricultural attaché of the Chilean embassy in the U.S. about negotiations on the approval of the Systems Approach for Chilean table grapes, which has once again been held up for political reasons.
No official communications from either government have confirmed approval for the new protocol, putting producers and exporters, who had prepared for a season with this new mechanism, in a complex situation.
The U.S. is the largest destination market for both Chile and Peru, with shipments representing 49% and 46% of total exports for each country, respectively.
The ability to respond to the changes in consumer trends and preferences in northern markets led the sector’s success, with varietal change to seedless grapes and patented cultivars playing an important role.
The drop can be attributed to multiple factors, including a decrease in the area dedicated to table grape cultivation and unfavorable climatic conditions in the central region of the country, which have adversely affected yields.