The Copiapó Valley has been one of the worst hit agricultural zones from recent storms in northern Chile, which have left three people dead and 22 missing in the Antofagasta, Atacama and Coquimbo regions.

From one extreme to the other, these previously drought-stricken lands have received heavy rain since Tuesday, with the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) reporting there have been some damages to grapevines, refrigeration units and packhouses, as well as worker houses and lodgings.

ASOEX said there have been landslides and floods in the areas of Calquis, San Antonio, Tierra Amarilla and Viña El Cerro. Additionally, floods have destroyed facilities and houses in the Huasco Valley.

The areas with the most rainfall have been: Jotabeche (Tierra Amarilla) with 17.9mm; Mallorquina (Tierra Amarilla) with 11.9 mm; Copiapó with 12.7 mm; Huasco with 18.7 mm. In the Limari Valley, rainfall in Combarbalá has reached 27.2mm; Ovalle 19.7mm and Monte Patria 14.2mm.

Table grapes

The group said national production would be compromised by the rain in some sectors of the country, which had affected between 35-40% of the vines with Red Globes and Crimson Seedless varieties that were yet to be harvested.

In terms of volume, this represents around four million boxes of Red Globes and 2.5 million boxes of Crimson Seedless, which means vines will need to be treated with crop protection products to avoid rotting.

On a more positive note however, the association said there were approximately 1.5 million boxes of Red Globes and 400,000 boxes of Crimson Seedless in refrigeration, to be shipped as per normal. It must also be noted that the packing of table grapes in the Atacama and Coquimbo regions is practically finished.

Website T13.cl reported around 50 workers from the company Frutícola Atacama had been isolated by flooding, while some Unifrutti workers were in a similar situation.

www.freshfruitportal.com