TAMPA, FL - Winter weather need not prevent produce departments from stocking fresh, in-season offerings—not when an abundance of high-quality Chilean fruit can be procured from companies represented by the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association.

I recently had an opportunity to talk with Merchandiser Allison Myers and learn more about Chile’s current crops and the merits of its counter-seasonal stonefruit, berry, and grape offerings.

“Chile is in its height of the season in terms of grapes [and] stonefruit; blueberries have had a terrific season, and organics, actually, this year, have represented about 12.5 percent of our total volume,” Allison told me. “Chile’s got a great geographic position. It’s got the volcanic soil. It’s got the Mediterranean climate, and as vertical as it is, it enables fruit to be grown from the south up to the north in a season that usually begins harvest in December and will continue up to the beginning of April.”

And because Chile’s growing season is generally counter-seasonal to the U.S.’s, Allison noted, retailers in the Northern hemisphere can import Chilean fruit to offer year-round supplies of an expanding number of categories.

“Chile has also been really focused on concentrating on increasing their acreage with a lot of the varieties,” Allison surmises, varieties including lemon plums, muscat grapes, and other unique offerings, “and hopefully, in the coming years, that’s what you’re going to be seeing in the U.S.”

For more information on Fruits from Chile, check out our brief interview above. And for more fresh produce news, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.

Fruits from Chile