Frutas de Chile has celebrated exporting the first table grapes of the 2024-25 season under the Systems Approach protocol to Mexico. This was a milestone for the Chilean industry, coming on the heels of the first exports under the same protocol to the United States.

“Thanks to the successful outcome of the pilot program we carried out last season for the export of table grapes to Mexico under Systems Approach together with a group of producers and exporters from Coquimbo, the Agriculture and Livestock Service, and the National Service of Health, Safety and Agri-Food Quality of Mexico; this 2024-25 season we can continue with this export mechanism to the Mexican market, which began to materialize with the first shipments from the Atacama region,” said Miguel Canala-Echeverría, general manager of Frutas de Chile.

The professional highlighted this new exporting exercise, “we are extending this pilot to two other regions: Atacama and Valparaíso, whose fresh grapes, together with those from Coquimbo, may also be exported to Mexico under this system. In this way, we are improving our competitiveness and quality in a market where we had been losing market share precisely because the fruit was damaged by having to apply products. From now on, this is being changed by an inspection system that is also more sustainable.

Two containers were exported from Copiapó with fruit from the company Río Blanco. Its commercial manager, Nicolás Damm, told News Frutas de Chile, "Last year's experience was fantastic (pilot), and that is why we are making our best efforts to maximize the use of this Systems Approach for Mexico this season.”

The professional also highlighted the importance of this new phytosanitary tool, “The significance of this Systems Approach is tremendous. It allows us to increase the number of varieties we can offer to this market since fumigation at the origin limited the varieties and the volume of grapes we could provide to the Mexican market. Arriving with fresher and better quality fruit definitely directly impacted the results of the grapes (last season) and will undoubtedly continue to do so.

Concerning the preparation to carry out the Systems Approach, the professional highlighted: “We have worked exhaustively in two areas: Phytosanitary, where we deepened the measures to avoid the presence of quarantine pests, which could cause us some drop or rejection of the fruit; and secondly and at the packaging level, we adapted traceable tasks to isolate processes and avoid cross-contamination.”

The Rio Blanco representative noted what is expected to be exported under this system: “Our production team in the approved areas aims to pack 100% of the fruit under the System Approach to the USA, Mexico, and Brazil. Although we will not ship everything to Mexico commercially, we have presented 100% of the approved lots. We want to continue increasing the program week by week.”

Regarding the grape varieties and estimates of shipments to Mexico, Damm pointed out: “Our first two containers loaded are of the varieties we are harvesting in Copiapó: Arra Sweeties and Sweet Celebration. The total volume of the program will depend mainly on the approval of lots, but we hope to arrive in Mexico with more than 60,000 boxes of green and red varieties.

Inspection of Chilean table grapes

In addition to the certification of compliance with the Systems Approach protocol carried out by SAG, a group of inspectors from the Chile Office of the General Directorate of Plant Health (DGSV) of Mexico's Senasica is also conducting inspections.

Its representative, Adolfo Maldonado, commented that they are working on inspecting the first grapes. In January, more personnel will be added to this work “as more regions are joining the pilot program, given that it was very successful last year, and we hope it will be the same this season”.”

Regarding the verification work, the Senasica professional explained that field samples are taken before the inspection, which we accompany to be reviewed in laboratories authorized by SAG.