The president of Decofrut, Manuel José Alcaíno, said during Fedefruta's Regional Meeting in Quillota (organized by Fedefruta in conjunction with the Farmers Association of Quillota), that things bode well for oranges, clementines, and mandarins in the coming season.
24% of the Chilean citrus surface is planted in the area of Quillota. "90% of this fruit goes to North America. The rest of the countries are marginal, although there are places to develop and much to do in the Middle East. We have a great potential there, just like South Africa did in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with its oranges," he said.
According to Alcaíno, South Africa had tried to reclaim the American market, where Chile supplies the volume they previously sent, this year. "They used to dominate that market," he said and warned that Chile based its position on lower prices, not quality.
"The United States has a market that is willing to pay higher prices for better quality fruit," he said.
He also highlighted that Chile was providing the US market with the Navel variety when they didn't harvest it and that it was a very stable business.
Source: Communications Fedefruta