Chile's 2024-2025 stone fruit season is in full swing. "We expect to export 20% more stone fruit than last season, which amounts to approximately 2.7 million boxes," stated Sebastián Rodríguez, commercial director of Verfrut, a company that grows plums, peaches, and nectarines on 800 hectares.
"This season, we are facing problems with early plum varieties and with the US market. In addition, it is still uncertain how nectarines will do in Asia. In addition, this season's fruit is smaller than in previous seasons. That is why we are looking for the best markets for each variety to maximize profitability. At the moment we are at the peak of peaches, nectarines, and plums," he stated.
"North America is always important for all three varieties. Asia is especially important for white-fleshed nectarines and high-Brix plums. Latin America is a key market for peaches, while Europe and the UK are essential for nectarines and small plums," he added.
"The Chinese market remains a question mark, mainly due to the huge quantities of cherries that have been exported there this year and the economic situation in the country. For now, it looks stable and better than last year. We only export white nectarines to China. In general, the preference there is not so much for a specific variety, but for sweet, slightly acidic fruits with a high Brix content and sizes from 40 to 50," Rodríguez stated.
In January 2024, Verfrut was acquired by Unifrutti, part of the Abu Dhabi ADQ group, to strengthen its global fruit platform. "The integration process is in full swing. We are working together on strategies to align our markets and complement each other," the commercial director stated.
This year, the company has some key opportunities and challenges to face. "We want to position some brands in some markets, maintain quality, and demonstrate that Chile has a great product. We also want to convince consumers in the northern hemisphere to eat stone fruit in the winter season. In addition, we want to grow in some less explored markets, with good results," Rodríguez explained.
One of the biggest challenges will be logistics. "Transport costs are rising uncontrollably and are approaching pandemic levels again. In addition, services are unreliable, with many delays. The weather also plays a role. For example, the recent heat waves in Chile and the cold weather in the markets where we send fruit can affect production and consumption. Finally, exporters have to be careful not to flood markets to the point of collapsing them, as this ultimately affects our returns. Therefore, diversifying markets is essential," he concluded.
Source: simfruit.cl