Víctor Catán: “What we want is to have top-quality port infrastructure”

The president of the Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile (Fedefruta) spoke with Agenda Marítima and expressed his concern about the emergence of the Port of Chancay on the regional scene and the need to improve infrastructure in both sea and land ports.

On November 14, the Chancay megaport was officially inaugurated. Different voices, diverse opinions, some pessimistic and others more optimistic. The truth is that the emergence of the new Peruvian terminal did not leave anyone indifferent, even more so taking into account the delay in the execution of port expansions in our country with the expansions of the ports of Valparaíso and San Antonio as the most important.

Last week, the Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile (Fedefruta) issued a statement expressing concern about the delay of national projects and the appearance on the map of the Peruvian megaport. In an interview with Agenda Marítima, the leader of the group, Víctor Catán, analyzed the problem in depth and addressed the needs of the export sector, one of the most important after mining for national foreign trade.

How do you assess the impact that the port of Chancay can have on fruit exports to Chile?

Logically, Chile loses a significant degree of competitiveness and leadership, and it does not only lose it because of the port of Chancay but it loses it because of the planning of this structure that Peru has been generating in the last twenty years approximately, which has to do not only with the port issue but also with civil works for irrigation, roads, and an endless number of other measures that have allowed development to such a level that Peru has become a relevant player in the world fruit industry.

What is your opinion regarding the competitiveness of the port of Chancay compared to traditional Chilean ports such as Valparaíso and San Antonio?

Well, basically it is the size of the vessels. The port of Chancay will allow vessels of more than 400 meters and that means that large vessels will probably only want to go as far as Chancay and the short trip to Chile will have to be a smaller vessel that will have to go to Peru for a transfer. That is one of the things that worries us a lot since it could increase the costs of maritime transport.

In this regard, how do you think this competition will impact the prices and logistical efficiency of our products?

This has a cost component, but it also has a time component. We who have perishable goods such as fruit, time is one of the most important variables that we take care of so that our fruit reaches the different markets in optimal conditions and has a favorable commercial result. So if we arrive at a transshipment port such as Chancay and it is delayed or we lose sight of our fruit, not only will we assume an extra cost, but we will put our fruit at risk, no matter how much insurance or alternatives exist. What we want is to have first-class port infrastructure in Chile.

Several months ago, we took this approach to the Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, who took up our concern and took it to a committee of ministers and agreed to put greater emphasis on resolving port issues. We went to the issue of Valparaíso, which is a port that worries us greatly because this year it will receive a large number of passenger cruise ships and that reduces the port's capacity. On the other hand, the Port of San Antonio has historically had storm surges during times of the year, which are peak fruit seasons, that force it to close, on average, fifty days a year.

Chancay is seen as a potential threat by Fedefruta. Photo: Ministry of Transport of Peru

You mentioned the issue of roads as part of this process for the export of fruit. Are we in debt in terms of infrastructure?

We are in debt on a road that is vital for the industry of the sixth, seventh, eighth and Metropolitan areas, such as the Fruit Highway. This tender has been postponed three times and we have been waiting for it to be completed for nearly ten years. Now, although work has already begun on some sections, it is completely stopped on others. But another vital issue is the safety of the roads because transporters do not want to travel through certain places at certain times for fear not only of having their cargo stolen, but of losing their lives.

And what about land ports, such as Los Andes?

In the Aconcagua area we have the first land port in Chile that has become completely obsolete and that generates many problems for the sector as a result of all the trucks that are driving around the streets of the city. There we need the authorities to take the appropriate phytosanitary measures such as a place where the trucks can wait to be attended to by all the agencies such as Customs and the SAG, and not be on the street because that generates road problems and other problems such as, for example, the possible presence of the fruit fly or, as at the beginning of the year, the outbreak of dengue. My call is not to lose sight of what is required at the land port level because it was conceived to serve between 800 and 900 trucks, and today the passage of 2 thousand trucks, so believe me, we are behind.

What measures is Fedefruta taking, for example, to support Chilean exporters and transport in this context of new port competition and lack of infrastructure?

We raised this issue a couple of months ago with the authorities, but we recently met with the port leaders of Valparaíso. We learned about their needs and problems, and together we raised them with the sector authorities. That is the path we have taken, to bring the dialogue to a good point and above all to make it clear that we have a risk in our activity if we do not have the necessary port capacity to ship.

Chancay was inaugurated on November 14 within the framework of APEC 2024. Photo: Ministry of Transport of Peru

Another point that we have encouraged at the level of the Ministry of Agriculture is the issue of cargo priority, an issue that we consider vital. This means that live cargo, such as fruit, should have priority over other cargo that can probably wait, such as, for example, manufactured goods.

How do you see the future of fruit exports in Chile in the coming years, taking into account, for example, the growing importance of ports in Peru and other ports in the region?

I see it as very favorable for continuing to grow in exports and returns, but we need the infrastructure to meet the needs. Fruit growing is growing towards the south and in the Ñuble region there is a significant presence. Imagine that today in Chile there are around 47 thousand hectares of European hazelnuts, there are more than 60 thousand hectares of cherries. There are areas that are very interested in venturing into fruit and require infrastructure, and we have to understand that we cannot continue giving away space to our neighboring countries because it is a space that we will not be able to recover later.

What is the message for fruit exporters regarding the emergence of Chancay and what could eventually happen in the future?

Three things. First, all of this must be addressed as a whole, not only from the fruit world, but with the other economic activities of the country. Second, this must be built between the public and private sectors because the economic activity of fruit growing benefits the country, it generates jobs. Today there are approximately more than 500 thousand people working in the field directly, plus everything that is involved in the surroundings, such as trade and services, so we have to continue on that path. Third, we have to look at the country we want for the next 20 or 30 years, not for next week. We have a history that we have to preserve, continue exploring and improving.

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