There are three main tasks confronting Chile's raspberry industry as the 2010-11 season: increasing demand internationally, developing new varieties and improving communications channels, according to a report in Chilean daily El Mercurio.

According to the report, Chile’s raspberry industry needs to start investing in promotional campaigns in international markets to encourage a stable consumer base. Currently consumption varies heavily depending on the price of the fruit. In turn price is not stable since the 350,000 tons of the fruit produced worldwide for export varies depending on weather conditions.

“An option is to spend on promotion, as is done with avocados or blueberries … to have a fund to inform [consumers] of the health benefits that consuming raspberries bring and increase consumption,” Felipe Rosas, secretary of the International Raspberry Organization (IRO) is quoted as saying.

In addition the industry needs new varieties that are more productive and have a longer post-harvest life cycle in order to meet the physical demands of exporting. There is also a need for larger berries that have a sweeter taste, the report said.

Finally, the growing industry is looking to improve its ability to communicate with the rest of the supply chain and consumers. To meet this requirement, the IRO will launch a website in coming months.

In total Chile has more than 19,000 raspberry growers, the majority of them small scale with an average .8 hectares of productive land. The industry as a whole expects to export some 60,000 tons for a total of US $180 million. Of this amount some 52,000 tons will be frozen.

The IRO held its biannual conference in Talca, Chile last week. The next installment of the event will be held in Canada in 2012.

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com