The Chilean fruit industry and authorities have marked the first shipment from the port of Talcahuano (San Vicente Port) en route to Los Angeles, California. This adds another option for the country’s fruit production to reach northern markets for fruit harvested in both Central and Northern Chile.

According to PortalPortuario, the first shipment took place last week and included 9,210 pallets of fresh fruit, including blueberries, grapes, pears and stone fruit. 

The development is part of a strategy from the port concessionaire San Vicente Terminal Internacional (SVTI) and the port operator Puertos de Talcahuano to diversify the sectors served by the facility. 

“This first shipment of this year’s refrigerated fruit confirms the multipurpose work of our concessionarie SVTI, and at the same time demonstrate that the San Vicente Port is an attractive option for agricultural exporters not just in the central and southern regions of Chile, but also from the north”, said Guacolda Vargas, development and sustainability manager of Puertos de Talcahuano. 

This first logistical run included the participation of around 300 refrigerated trucks that moved goods from the regions of Coquimbo, Valparaíso, O’Higgins, Maule and others. Authorities from Chile’s agricultural and livestock service SAG and fruit exporters association ASOEX were also on hand. 

Chile’s fruit industry depends largely on the ports of San Antonio and Valparaiso in the center of the country, both of which have suffered in the past from logistical bottlenecks and labor issues.