Chile’s second-largest fruit exporter Unifrutti plans to increase production capacity and modernize half of its processing plants, in a bid to meet shipment targets of 1.8 million annual cartons.

Unifrutti Traders recorded US$140 million worth of sales in 2009-10 with shipments of 132,071 metric tons (MT), but the company plans to ‘reinvent’ itself to cater to growing markets, reported newspaper El Mercurio.

The business is linked to Italian multinational De Nadai International Group, which plans to invest around $12 million in capacity and facility upgrades, including its processing plants in Teno, Linderos, Requínoa and Copiapó, the story reported.

Unifrutti general manager Juan José Villasante and commercial director Germán Illanes, told the newspaper fruit shipments have been growing 50% annually, partly due to Asian demand. As this growth continues the business aims to increase production from 600,000 cartons to 1.8 million cartons annually.

“We have proposed to reinvent ourselves to remain successful in this business. One of the formulas is to produce more, and the other is to be more efficient in our processes from the harvest until the fruit is unloaded,” Llanes was quoted as saying.

“There is a commitment to cherries, we have been planting new varieties that are more resistant and can be transferred further, better sizes, colors and flavors. It is an attractive market,” Villasante told El Mercurio.

The company produces pome fruit, stone fruit, kiwifruit, citrus fruit, pomegranates and persimmons.

Unifrutti Global has operations in Italy, Chile, South Africa, Turkey, Philippines, the U.S. and the Canary Islands.

Photo: Flickr, Balaji.B

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com