Seasonal Giant

High Demand

The Chilean fruit industry shows no signs of slowing down.  According to ProChile, since 2004 when the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement was officially implemented, U.S. imports of Chilean produce have risen 127 percent, increasing by double digits every year.  Canada and the United States combined account for a third of Chile’s total annual fruit exports.  It is interesting to note that 15 companies are responsible for shipping nearly half of Chile’s fruit exports, while the remaining 55 percent is comprised of 530 suppliers.

Rodriguez notes that the dramatic increase is due not just to consumer demand for fresh produce both in and out of season, but the result of major promotional efforts aimed at North American consumers.  With retailers highlighting Chile, its growing season, and produce, Rodriguez says “consumers have become more accustomed to seeing Chilean fruit.”

Juan Pablo Vicuña, president of Dole Chile, which ships 15 million boxes of fruit annually, agrees. As the country’s largest produce exporter, the company has seen impressive volume growth over the past three years in blueberries (50 percent), cherries (100 percent) and pomegranates (200 percent).  A growing number of U.S. suppliers source from Chile, some bringing in a variety of fruit like California-based Bengard Marketing, Inc. to those specializing in one or two commodities like Florida-based Dave’s Specialty Imports, Inc. (berries) or Shuman Produce, Inc. in Georgia, which imports sweet onions from both Chile and Peru.

Bengard Marketing in Los Angeles has been importing from the Southern Hemisphere since 1991 and is among the largest U.S. importers of stone fruit, cherries, and pears from Chile. Unlike many companies, who bridge the off season with Chilean produce, Bengard’s niche is the reverse: “The import program is our main volume,” says vice president Broc Bengard, “and the domestic season rounds it out.” 

Dave’s Specialty Imports in Miami has been working directly with Chilean growers for two decades, focuses largely on berries and red currants. “Working with Chile has been the perfect complement to our domestic berry program,” says Leslie Simmons, the company’s marketing manager. “Volumes continue to increase each year, and we work with our Chilean friends to ensure their fruit finds its way to consumers’ tables in North America.”

Far-Reaching Distribution

Doug Grant, COO of the Vancouver, BC-based Oppenheimer Group says working with Chilean producers has allowed the company to become a key supplier of grapes and apples in the off season. With more than a dozen offices throughout North and South America, Oppenheimer ships more than 40 million boxes annually to retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice companies.

“Even while consumers are more conscious than ever about buying local, they still expect a full assortment in the produce section twelve months of the year,” Grant says, explaining that the company’s network of growers make it possible to deliver Chilean fruit “virtually all year long.”