Chilean plans for blueberry exports to China move a step closer

Chile is going through the final approval stages of protocols allowing it to export to China with the arrival later this month of two inspectors from the superpower.

Chile Blueberry Committee manager Andrés Armstrong, told www.freshfruitportal.com they were waiting for an exact date to be confirmed and explained the inspectors would be checking that the first fruit shipments complied with China’s requirements.The inspections by China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIC) fulfill the final part of the protocol signed last June, after three years of negotiations.

Following the visit, Chilean exporters will have the go-ahead to start exporting directly to China.

China’s 1,400 million inhabitants have an increasingly greater purchasing power making it an attractive market.

The Chilean Blueberry Committee said exporting to the country was one of its major objectives in a bid to diversify.

Blueberry consumption has risen over the last few years following greater awareness of the fruit’s high anti-oxidant levels.

The U.S. is Chile’s largest export destination with 69,600 metric tons (MT) shipped in 2010-11.

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com

Argentine’s blueberry heartland sees 20% export rise

Argentina’s heartland blueberry state, Tucumán has exported 3,700 metric tons (MT) so far – a 20% year-on-year increase, acccording to figures by the country’s blueberry committee.

Although, prices were not as high as producers had hoped leading to a total harvest of 4,700 MT, a little lower than the 5,000 MT originally forecast.

The quality of Tucumán fruit this season was better than last year’s due to a good climate with no extremes of temperature.

Concordia state is still in the middle of harvesting with earlier varieties such as O’Neal two thirds of the way through collection.

Harvesting of O’Neals is expected to finish a little earlier than estimated, Nov. 20, due to rain and lack of labourers.

Emerald variety is half way through harvesting with peak collection this week and fruit reported to be of good quality offering good yields.

Read full article at FreshFruitPortal.com