Chilean fruit: summer is just a call (to your supplier) away

As the pandemic trudges into winter, a taste of Chilean summer may be just what the doctor ordered. Fresh cherries, grapes, blueberries, stone fruits and more are on their way to the US by air and by ship, offering plenty of promotional opportunities over the next six months.

“Retailers were eager to announce vitamin C and other health messages during our summer and fall citrus promotions,” said Karen Brux, North America general manager for the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association. “As COVID-19 continues and we enter flu season, I hope they continue to focus on the health benefits.”

Brux said February is the key month for promotions as volumes will be at their peak. “In December we have small volumes of cherries, blueberries and grapes, while January brings larger volumes of blueberries. February is the key month for the promotion of blueberries, peaches and nectarines, as the cherry season comes to an end. We do some grape promotions, our biggest category, in February, but March and April are definitely bigger months for grapes."

Josh Leichter, general manager of Los Angeles-based Pacific Trellis Fruit / Dulcinea Farms, said the season looks promising so far. “The good news is that Chile had a fair amount of winter rain and snow piling up in the mountains, so most growers are not facing the water problems they experienced at this time last year. It has been a good spring for fruit production and everyone is optimistic about the size and quality of the harvest ”.

He said new grape varieties and, more recently, stone fruit, combined with advances in postharvest handling and logistics, have added to the overall quality and consistency of the fruit.

With people cooking more at home and planning more meals in advance, Brux said now is the time to inspire with convenient, healthy and tasty ideas. “Our Fruits from Chile website offers recipes and usage ideas for everything from Blueberry Power Balls to Roasted Cauliflower with Chilean Grapes and Peach Smoothie Bowls.”

Winter holidays and occasions like heart health month in February offer even more promotional opportunities, Brux said. Fruits from Chile sends holiday-themed or occasional promotions to its more than 500.000 Facebook followers and 35.000 Instagram followers, and distributes a consumer newsletter to more than 25.000 subscribers.

The association is also reviewing a series of e-commerce options to boost online sales of Chilean fruit. 

Leichter said that combining Chilean fruit with wine and cheese remains his favorite cross-marketing opportunity.

John Pandol, director of special projects for Pandol Brothers Inc., Delano, Calif., Notes that Christmas and New Years each fall are Friday, which will encourage shoppers to stock up for long weekends at home. He predicts that ads for blueberries will include larger shells than in the past.

"The second week of February we will be pushing both grapes and blueberries," Pandol said, noting that consumers buy fresh fruit for Valentine's Day menus. Mardi Gras, even college bowling games, can also be celebrated at home this winter.

An early Easter, which falls in the first week of April, should also help. “The earlier Easter falls, the stronger the grape sales are,” Pandol said.

Pandol said that one of the biggest challenges in the industry is how to embrace merchandising in the virtual world. “The grapes are a driving force. People buy more when the grapes look good and many taste a grape or two before buying. What happens when a customer searches for grapes or blueberries and the same image appears week after week, month after month? How will we introduce new varieties, especially those with unique flavor characteristics, without in-store sampling?

“Every produce manager should check their department's online version the same way they walk the store and check the displays,” Pandol said. "The online shopper who only sees a mediocre online catalog will not buy, and will lose customers and sales."

He said training online order fulfillment staff, whether they are employees or outside workers, is crucial.

While Leichter expected to see increased demand for packaged fruit this season, it said customers who tried additional packages on certain items in the off-season found that their buyers still wanted to be able to see and touch the product. Also, as misconceptions about the spread of COVID through fruits and vegetables have been dispelled, he said the desire or need for additional packaging appears to have faded.

Here's a closer look at some of Chile's most popular winter fruits.

Cherries

Brux expects a peak in cherry shipments to the US in weeks 51/52 and said cherries provide excellent Christmas promotional opportunities from November to January.

Bengard Marketing, Rancho Dominguez, California, begins its Chilean season in early November with cherries. Sales manager Stephen Pearson anticipates that the pandemic may cause delays and increase air costs due to lack of flights. Promotions for cherries arriving by ship should peak in early to mid-January, Pearson said.

Blueberries

Chilean blueberries are available from November through March, Brux said, with peak shipments to the United States expected in weeks 2/3.

“The blueberry season is about a week behind last year's season, but we anticipate the same volume, if not a little more,” said Brian Bocock, vice president of product management for Naturipe Farms, Salinas, California.

Naturipe has changed its Chilean production towards organic. “Our acres of proprietary varieties are a bit firmer with more appealing flavor profiles than conventional ones,” Bocock said. “As they mature and produce more berries, these varieties will make up a higher percentage of our package.”

The pint remains Naturipe's most popular pack, closely followed by the 18-ounce pack, he said. Blueberries are also in the producer-shipper's newest snack line, Bliss Bentos, which combines fresh blueberries or grapes with unique ingredients including chocolate covered chickpeas for a delicious protein hit.

Stone fruit

"Peaches and nectarines will have volumes similar to last season, and there will be an increase in plums (back to normal volumes), which were down last season," Pearson said. He noted that the best time to promote peaches, plums and nectarines will be from January to early March.

Brux expects shipments of nectarines and peaches to the United States to peak in weeks 4/5, with some early fruit. Plums peak in weeks 7/8, the height of the Chilean stone fruit season.

"Some specialty varieties, such as lemon plums, present unique promotional opportunities, as they are only available for a few weeks," he said.

Leichter said Chile's new stone fruit varieties, particularly nectarines from European breeding companies, are focused on a better dining experience.

Grapes

Chile's grape season by vessel begins in mid-November, and overall volume for the US is expected to be about the same as last year. “The newer grape varieties will arrive in heavier volumes this season as production plantings have increased over the last three to four years,” Pearson said.

Brux expects a peak shipment of grapes to the US in weeks 13/12.

Leichter's current favorites include the green Sweet Globe, the red Allison and the black Iniagrape-One (also known as Inia One), developed in Chile. “These new varieties bring excitement to the market not only for their quality and condition, but also for their dining experience, which will ultimately lead to more sales and business for everyone.”

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