Table grape producers were able to prepare in advance for the weather event, which has likely most affected the O'Higgins region.

The Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) says it "laments" the country's situation at the moment in the wake of heavy rains and floods over the weekend.

In a release, the group says it is currently evaluating the impacts from the rainfall which occurred between the northern Coquimbo region through to Biobio, which is around 300 miles south of the capital Santiago.

"As an association we are undertaking a survey which will give us a more concrete visualization of the damages, as the moment it is too soon to venture at figures or conclusions as growers and exporters are focused on attending to urgent matters," says ASOEX president Ronald Bown.

Bown said many table grape growers and exporters were informed about the weather front in advance, allowing them to make all efforts to harvest fruit more quickly; in any case, the volume of grapes still to be harvested was not significant.

ASOEX said the area with the most complications was the VI (O'Higgins) region, which also happens to be the country's leading fruit-exporting region.

The association said Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) data showed Chile shipped two million metric tons (MT) of fruit in the 2014-15 season, of which 800,000MT came from O'Higgins, followed by the VII (Maule) region which shipped 500,000MT.

The main fruits grown in O'Higgins include table grapes, apples, kiwifruit, cherries, plums and blueberries.

The group added it was also assessing projections for citrus crops, which were set for harvest in May.

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