Grape growers in Chile’s northern Atacama Region are set to start exporting the fruit in December to more markets outside of the Unted States, the traditional destination, local website ServicoRegion.cl reported.

Quoting Noemi Campos, the Region’s director of ProChile,  the government agency that promotes Chile abroad, the report said that there will be an increased focus in placing the product in markets such as Russia, Japan, South Korea and China.

The United States in 2000 received 90% of the some US $75 million in shipments, while today that share has dropped to 70% of the some US $150 million in shipments. In total grape, growers expect to ship the fruit to around 30 different nations.

Furthermore the report said that one of the chief competitors of the early harvest is Brazil, which has seen a drop in shipments this year. Peruvian grapes also compete with Chile’s northern zone, at nearly the same price.

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com