Last week the Chilean table grape industry made the second estimate of shipments of the fruit for the 2020-21 season, as reported by the President of ASOEX, Ronald Bown Fernández.

This new estimate corresponds to the information provided by 38 companies, which as a whole make up 59 percent of the volume exported last season 2019-20.

“After the analysis that was done last week with the companies within the sector and after evaluating the effects of the rains for the 2020-21 season, we expect to export a total of 66.3 million boxes of table grapes equivalent to 8.2 kilograms," Fernández said.

“This figure reflects a decrease of 19.3 percent in relation to our first estimate from December when expected exports were at 82.3 million boxes," he said.

“That estimate was made before the storm, whose rains and hail, unfortunately, affected various grape-producing areas of the country."

He added that the new forecast reflects a decrease of 15.9 million boxes in relation to the December estimate of 82.3 million boxes.

“In addition, this second forecast also reflects a decrease of 9.8 percent in relation to the exports of the 2019-20 season, in which 73.6 million boxes of fresh grapes were exported to various markets worldwide,” he said.

The Research and Development Commission for Table Grapes in Chile (UVANOVA) said in a statement that “the consensus of the advising team that makes up UVANOVA is that Aconcagua, which produces 15 million boxes, would present losses between 45-55 percent".

"For the Metropolitan Region the loss could reach around 60 to 70 percent of its total of 15 million and for Region VI, whose contribution is around 30 million boxes, a final loss of 70 to 80 percent could be expected," it said.

Regarding varieties, ASOEX observed that the main decreases are in white grape varieties.

Exports are expected at 13.8 million boxes of green grapes; 5.6 million boxes of black grapes, 30.8 million boxes of red grapes and 16 million boxes of Red Globe grapes.

UVANOVA said that “we called on our producers in order to do a deep evaluation of the reality of the situation. To bolster our efforts in orchards and varieties that present with less damage, to invest in them in order to do the best possible job and to hope that our post-harvest will allow that fruit to arrive in good condition.”

“When in doubt, we recommend not pushing beyond what is reasonable, which will only increase the damage in the end,” the organization said.

The organization said that “the season will end earlier than usual and we estimate a loss of no less than $600 million, so as an association we call on the entire industry, from production to exports to come together in the face of this disaster and support producers in various areas".