With an attendance of around 300 people including producers, processors and exporters, as well as suppliers and guests from the plum sector in Argentina, it was reunited in person, and after 3 years, at the 10 EXPO Ciruelas Secas 2023, a Chilean industry that has become the world’s main exporter of this fruit.

An event held in Monticello, VI Region, and hosted by the Association of Pfrunes Processors and Exporters of Chile, Chileprunes, led by its president Pedro Pablo Díaz. On the occasion, the union leader reinforced the idea of continuing to work intensely jointly, publicly and privately, to take care of the markets that have opened up (China, Mexico and Europe), and return to one that is of great interest: India.

In this sense, Díaz emphasized how positive it would be to return to the gigantic Indian market, where there is only one fumigation-type problem (methyl bromide requirement versus phosphine). There, he pointed out, he spent 7 years cultivating, building a message about the benefits that prunes offer in terms of health, “the argumentative load has already been done, the ball is in the penalty spot and the goal must be scored by the part policy”.

He also highlighted the possibilities that we have as a country to continue leading global exports of dried plums, while the United States has a very strong internal consumption that takes most of what is produced; France did the same, exporting a smaller amount to neighboring countries and North Africa; while Argentina has presented climatic problems for several years in a row, which reduce its productive capacity, exporting most of it to its neighbor Brazil. “So the world is being attacked by us, in a significant way.”

On behalf of the government, there was Ignacio Fernández, general director of ProChile, who highlighted the interest in addressing the Indian issue, and continuing to work jointly between the public and private sectors, highlighting the food sector, which creates 500,000 direct jobs. Regarding the export of dried plums, the expansion of markets stands out, having gone from 70 to 81 destination countries in a few years, and “where significant opportunities have been presented for SMEs.”

Iván Marambio, president of Asoex, invited to work together, among all the unions that face similar challenges and have similar needs related to the lack of water, climate change, logistical challenges, market opening and competition. In this sense, he highlights the approval of the TPP11 “which allows us to compete on the same field, and with the same conditions.”

For his part, Cristián Allendes, president of the SNA, called for concern about the quality of the fruit produced “always; in a stable manner over time”, as well as promotion. He emphasized water infrastructure as a priority at the country level and where it should not be taken for granted that it will rain again in winter to save the situation.

Juan Pablo Sotomayor, technical manager of Frutexsa made a productive analysis of the last season and projected what is to come. In 2022, the total production of Chilean prunes was 103 thousand tons. Between fresh fruit, discard and loss there were 20 thousand tons, while the remaining 82.6 thousand tons is what is available for the industry in dehydrated plum.

Regarding new plantations, he pointed out that there are no plants available in the nurseries, with an estimated plantation of 700 to 1,000 hectares for the period 2023-2024. Currently, the planted hectares of European plum reach 12,530, where the VI Region represents 68.7% of the total. Among the threats to fruit trees are aphids (considered in health programs), cabritos (which eat the roots) and a bird, the Chirigua (which eats the flower buds).

Sebastián Valdés, director of companies and with 22 years of experience in various agri-food sectors, points out that “the pandemic taught us how fragile our supply chain is, and reminded us that our product offer is not such until we manage to put it on the market.” gondola of a supermarket, or in the shopping cart of an e-commerce. Logistics must not be taken for granted and you must have a strategic position to address it, in order to obtain a rate/risk ratio appropriate to the profile of each exporter”.

For his part, Juan Pablo Subercaseaux, a fruit grower and economist from the P. Universidad Católica de Chile, gave us a macro view of the economy and the plum sector.

To begin with, in relation to the high exchange rate -which favors the exporting world-, this reduces it to a brief and decisive phrase: “Chile is worth less”. He envisions a 12-month upside that puts it above $900. This forecast is based on the higher interest on State debt, less investment, more “normal” copper values and due to the effect that changes in interest rates would have, where the United States is on the rise and Chile, which today has very high, it will go down gradually.

He also indicates that Chile has lost its fiscal sobriety: in 14 years the governments of the day spent 40% of GDP annually, “the Chilean government went from having savings to having debts.”

In another area, he points out that “the entry of migrants into Chile is good, but having them all enter together is complex. One million people entered between 2017 and 2020. In the fields, the largest number are Bolivian seasonal workers… good workers.”

He adds that in Chile, there should be no problems in the short term with respect to labor: “there are 500,000 people who should be working, and they are not.”

Regarding prunes, the economist refers to two years with high international prices, which significantly exceed historical averages. This is mainly caused by lower supply in producing countries, caused, among others, by frost in France. “We must be clear, it is a short-term issue, and that when the international situation is regularized, we will return to normal prices.”

Regarding fresh plums, the person in charge of making reference to the subject was Cristián Tagle, commercial manager of Garcés Fruit. “The voracious appetite for fresh plums awoke only 4 years ago, and in the last two years, in both cases, the 50,000 tons produced have been exceeded.” The appetite is mainly Chinese, which accounts for 98% of the market and Taiwan for 1%. He points out that Chile is valued as a country of origin, as well as for its good flavor, sweetness and low acidity. As a challenge, he says that quality must continue to be worked on, guaranteeing it from start to finish “in flavor and firmness; green fruit affects the general market.”

After the sustainable

In this EXPO, the issue of sustainability was also addressed. Kelly Witkowski, director of the Sustainability and Natural Resources Program of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Costa Rica, reinforces that people not only ask, but also demand that food-producing companies make changes and improvements in this area. She highlights 3 key points: first, the success of an industry is linked to sustainability; second, it is not something binary, of blacks and whites, it requires constant improvement; and third, all the actors, in the most diverse markets and industries, can guide a path towards sustainability.

She also considers it necessary to assume the standards that are being demanded internationally to remain competitive in the market, build trust, be proactive and identify a path to continue improving practices, among others.

Since 2022, Chileprunes has been working together with the Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA, agency of the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA, specialized agency for agriculture of the OAS), to develop and implement a sustainability standard for the sector, with extensive validation by the different actors that are part of this agro-industrial sector.

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