The Chilean fresh fruit sector has shown good results during the first months of 2020, despite the strong impact on international trade of Covid-19. Despite the closure of restaurants and hotels around the world, the population has continued to consume fresh products, through sales in supermarket chains, delivery and electronic commerce, according to ProChile.

The commercial attache of ProChile in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, Carlos Salas, recognized that “the retail sector is affected by lower tourist arrivals and the closure of non-essential stores. However, the Middle East food dependency is one of the highest in the world, that has increased interest in Chilean products such as nuts, frozen salmon, fresh apples, fresh grapes and frozen berries. "

This last product is the one made by the company Juhinej that exports raspberries, cultivated blackberries, blueberries, grapes and kiwi. "Our fort is frozen organic fruit and in particular blueberry and raspberry," explains Ivette Aedo, operations manager for Juhinej.

It is fruit that has an international certification that guarantees that “it comes from holistic production management systems in the agricultural, livestock or forestry field, which promotes and improves the health of the agroecosystem and, in particular, biodiversity, cycles and the biological activity of the soil ”.

Aedo indicates that the company until this year exported to North America, Europe, Asia and some Latin American countries, such as Colombia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, but that it was not present in the Middle East. "That is why we are very happy with this first purchase order to Dubai, which we have just shipped by sea. It is about 300 grams of fruit sachets, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry, ready to eat. The sachets are labeled in Arabic for direct sale in supermarkets. "

Carlos Salas highlighted that "the entrance is to the most important organic retail chain in Dubai:" Organics Food and Cafe ".

The ship takes 37 days from the Chilean ports to the United Arab Emirates. "The entire load has a digital temperature control system, which guarantees the cold chain throughout the trip." The organic fruit comes from the Ñuble, Biobío and La Araucanía regions. "But 90% of our suppliers are concentrated in the Coihueco district," said Aedo.

Organic market

For the director of ProChile Ñuble, Ingrid Quezada, “this new destination is a good sign, because despite the difficult times we are experiencing, we can say that it is possible to continue working on our exports, diversifying markets, at such an important moment to guarantee the income and livelihood of thousands of families in the Chilean countryside ”.

Quezada assured that "the Ñuble region has the highest amount of production and export of berries in Chile, especially blueberries and it is the region that has the most organic producers, about 600 certified farmers, equivalent to 85% of the total it had when It was linked to the Biobío region, especially in fruit items such as berries, apples and kiwis, vegetables and medicinal herbs, according to information obtained from the union association of organic and agro-ecological farmers in the Ñuble region.