Chile's Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile (Fedefruta) reports that exports this season could be “very good for everyone,” thanks to favorable weather.
“This year we see more fruit in the field, there is a strong increase, and it can be a very good season for everyone,” Fedefruta President Jorge Valenzuela was quoted by Xinhua as saying during a visit Tuesday at Santiago's International Arturo Merino Benítez Airport cargo terminal.
“We can be optimistic” about shipping fruit exports by air “because this season the logistics conditions” have improved after the pandemic, Valenzuela explained. Santiago's airport logistics can handle around 600 tons of perishable products per day, it was explained. Fedefruta also pointed out that around 70% of the flights with this type of export are passenger aircraft, while the rest are freighters, which can carry four or five times more cargo.
Air shipment of fruits started in November and is expected to peak next month with early harvests, mainly of blueberries and cherries. In late September this year, Chile celebrated the start of the 2022-2023 cherry season together with dignitaries from China, the main buyer for this kind of product. According to the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (Asoex), the country remains the world's leading cherry exporter.
Source: MercoPress