A group of growers from Chile’sAtacama region  have formed an export company are celebrating their first official shipment to the U.S.The newly formed agro exporter company “Uvas de Atacama”, comprises four local growers who came together with the goal of shipping the fruit directly from the vines to the U.S. market.

They recently exported a shipment of 20,546 boxes of table grapes to New Jersey.

The effort, which was supported by  the Chilean government, is putting the four growers - Remberto Cabrera Padilla, Carlos Bordoli Tiska, Sociedad Agrícola Endraos Nicolas Ltda. and Agrícola Pabellón Spa. - on the international map.

In the coming weeks, the members of “Uvas de Atacama” will travel to the U.S. to oversee the reception of the fruit in the field, discuss the process and hopefully close new business deals.

Cabrera, who was appointed General Manager of the venture, said: "The fruit  arrived really well at the destination with a good evaluation by The Fresh Way, the receiving company, who will sell the exported grapes in small stores and associated supermarkets.”

Cabrera also praised the support of the Chilean government’s Associative Network Program, which helped with aspects such as technical and tax advice. 

In the short and medium term, the expectations of the implementation of the Associative Network program are to continue to support Uvas de Atacama growth and to increase its purchasing power to other smaller producers, as well as to open new markets for local grapes, such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador.