The recently established Chilean Table Grape Committee has said its main focus will be on the control and eradication of the European Grapevine Moth that has been 'holding back' the industry. 

Committee president Fernando Sat told www.freshfruitportal.com the industry had to confront the issue of the moth Lobesia botrana as a matter of urgency as it could cause serious damage to crops.

"We are working on the Lobesia botrana problem and all our efforts have been put into finding a good control program to eradicate this new pest that entered the country a few years ago," he said.

"[The Lobesia] is what is holding back the industry today and can damage the fruit extensively. Therefore, it is a serious problem which we face together as the fruit industry, not just the Chilean Table Grape Committee."

Sat added an eradication program was already being run successfully in certain areas of the country, but not where the pest was most prevalent.

"The program is doing very well at controlling the problem in some parts of the country. All that is left is the most important one - the southern central region where the issue is really quite severe," he said.

Aside from the Lobesia, Sat also spoke of the harsh challenges faced by table grape producers in particularly problematic areas of the country.

"The situation is completely different in the north where they are suffering from serious water problems, and therefore their development is limited to the availability of water there," he said.

"If this year does not rain as it should do, we are going to see some serious trouble."

Early days for the committee

Sat said the work of the new Chilean Table Grape Committee was going fairly well and had so far received excellent industry support.

"It was only formed a few weeks ago and all table grape companies are involved. Members are entitled to have their voices heard and vote, and because of that we have enjoyed the participation of the entire industry," he said.

"We didn't just look for the big companies to join us, or ones from certain regions, but companies from all over - from the north to the south. All areas are represented and they all have the right to speak and vote independently."

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