Following a meeting of Chileprunes’ technical team on Wednesday, October 28, the various looks of the orchards show that the big picture for Chilean dehydrated prunes producers and exporters is more positive than negative.

The best water conditions this 2020, and the absence of large frosts in extended areas of the Central Zone, and which in 2019 wreaked havoc in several provinces, make us think of a better season for an industry that occupies the first place in the world in export matters.

The quality of the fruit looks good; with good sizes and with the expectation of generating good sugar content, especially in some sectors of the Metropolitan Region and VI Region, especially in orchards in Buin, San Bernardo and Graneros.

A first approximation of how the season will cope, he says it relates to a drop in volumes according to the productive potential of the planted area. While it would not be a full harvest, it could be placed in volumes above the previous season, because in some places, due to lack of winter cold, elongated blooms and high thermal oscillations, greater competitions have been generated between curdled fruits.

Flowering was erratic in some areas, with days of high thermal oscillation and elongated in duration. Indeed, in some localities in the Central Zone of Chile, when the availability of winter cold has been insufficient, problems such as poor uniformity, and extension and delay of flowering have been observed, affecting the development of futa, the management of orchards and also yield. To avoid or minimize these consequences, a significant group of producers applied cyanamide last July, and this year the grounds that considered it are generally in better condition than they did.

Some orchards are uneven, others well loaded (better than in 2019), with most being lag. While it is not known whether the total curdled fruits will remain in the trees, it is a top picture compared to last season, and everything shows that we will be with better news for producers and exporters. In the first days of November after the thinning, and hardening of the carozo (fruit pit), you can have a better approximation of this season.

Finally, comment that there is interest in the fresh fruit market as an export to China, which influences the prunes industry. It is estimated that fresh exports could be placed in volumes equivalent to the previous season, which would mean, if this is realized, a final result of volumes similar to the previous season, as indicated in Chileprunes.

Leave a Reply