Chile-based market researcher iQonsulting has announced recent unusual rainfall will likely set back local grape export growth by 3.3 percentage points.

Previous estimates were that Chilean grape exports would grow by 8.9% this season, but due to increased rainfall in week 6 this growth figure has been revised down to 5.6%.

IQonsulting said an initial assessment showed harvests for both Red Globe Seedless grapes from the IV (Coquimbo) region and Thompson Seedless grapes from the V (Valparaiso) region would decrease by 20%.

In the Metropolitana region, home to the capital of Santiago, Thompson Seedless and Flame varieties are expected to fall 3% and 15% respectively.

“Producers have taken necessary measures to mitigate the effects on the fruit, including the stoppage of harvesting work until the effects of the rain are shown and they can separate them in packing,” the report said.

In the Aconcagua region, crop harvesting was practically finished for Flame and Thompson Seedless varieties, while Crimson and Red Globe varieties had not yet started to grow when the rains occurred.

Source: iQonsulting/www.freshfruitportal.com