Good news for the Chilean fruit sector was announced today by the Agriculture and Livestock Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, as the Mexican health authority approved a Systems Approach pilot plan for Chilean table grape exports to that market. This involves the elimination of fumigation in the fruit shipment process, which allows the product to arrive in better conditions at its destination.
As a result of negotiations between the Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG) and the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria de México (Senasica), grape growers in the Atacama, Coquimbo and Valparaíso regions will be able to participate in the Systems Approach pilot, starting next season 2024-2025.
The Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, said “This is great news that will have a positive impact on our grape growers, as it reduces costs, the quality of the fruit is much better, and that is something that is valued. With this announcement from the Mexican sanitary authority, we confirm the excellent relationship that exists between our sanitary authorities and the seriousness with which the SAG and the industry are evaluated outside our borders”.
The National Director of SAG, José Guajardo Reyes, noted: “This achievement is the result of the meticulous and constant work we have carried out at the Service, in close collaboration with our counterpart in Mexico, Senasica, and the export sector. Earlier this year, in February, I traveled to Mexico intending to supervise the pilot plan that tested the Systems approach in table grape shipments from the Coquimbo region.
We advanced cautiously, rigorously complying with each of the sanitary requirements established by the Mexican authorities. Today, with the extension of the Systems Approach pilot plan, we celebrate this advance that greatly benefits the grape sector and all those involved in its production. At SAG, we are committed to continue opening roads for other products and countries.”
Iván Marambio, president of Frutas de Chile, indicated that “we welcome this announcement from Senasica, as it allows us to continue advancing in our strategy of eliminating fumigation from the processes of Chilean fruit, in this case especially table grapes, as this not only allows us to grow as an increasingly sustainable sector, but also because we can export grapes with better quality, condition and competitiveness to the Mexican market, which benefits Chilean producers and exporters, but also Mexican importers and consumers,” he said.
Miguel Canala-Echeverría, general manager of Frutas de Chile, explained: “A short time ago the USDA-APHIS published the Systems Approach standard for the shipment of our table grapes to the United States, today it is Mexico that approves the measure, which allows us to replace methyl bromide fumigation with an inspection system for table grape shipments from Atacama, Coquimbo and part of Valparaíso.
He added: “In addition, we are working with SAG to see the best way to extend the Systems Approach for grapes to the entire Valparaíso region for both Mexico and the United States. We are also interested in extending the Systems Approach for exporting fresh Chilean blueberries to the United States to the Maule and O'Higgins regions, for which we must work with the Ministry of Agriculture, SAG, grape and blueberry producers and exporters to control pests of interest to both markets, which require fumigation as a preventive measure.
According to Canala-Echeverría, “this Mexican approval is part of the successful pilot program we carried out from January to March of this year, where we sent table grapes under Systems Approach (without fumigation to Mexico) from the Coquimbo region, and which allowed SAG to propose to Senasica to implement this system in more regions during the meeting held at the end of June”.
Chile, in the 2023-2024 season, regained its leadership as the main exporter of table grapes in the southern hemisphere, with the shipment of more than 64 million boxes of fresh grapes (approx. 528,795 tons) for a value of more than $1 billion FOB, which represented an increase in both volume (+7%) and value (+13%) of table grape exports compared to the previous year, despite the weather problems that caused a drop in production.
Within this volume, new varieties of table grapes reached around 39 million boxes, reflecting a 62% share of total exports to the world.
Today, the main destination of Chilean table grapes is the United States, a market that receives 61% of the total shipped to the world. Last season, Mexico was the main recipient of Chilean fresh grapes in Latin America, with 13,741 tons, reflecting an increase of 23.3% over the previous season.
Regarding the Systems Approach, the president of Frutas de Chile commented: “From next season we will be able to start shipping fresh grapes to Mexico and the United States from Atacama, Coquimbo, and part of Valparaíso. These regions export more than 31 million boxes to the world, of which around 60% are destined for the U.S. market.
Mexico is the first destination in Latin America for Atacama and Coquimbo, with shipments of over 3 thousand tons. Within Latin America, Mexico is the third destination for grapes produced in Valparaíso, with more than 1,000 tons.
