Chile shifting growing districts for grapes and stone fruit
Chile shifting growing districts for grapes and stone fruit
LANSDALE, PA -- Chilean exporters were moving sourcing from the early, northern Copiapo Valley to Chile's central valley as February arrived, and importers have said that the Chilean grape business was making the transition between the two areas, with late Copiapo grapes showing some discoloration.
Kenny Tsunoda at All Fresh Produce Inc. in Los Angeles said Feb. 1 that this "transition is occurring as it normally does this time of year. The later Thompsons out of the northern area are seeing a little more discoloration and occasional condition problems as we finish in that district. As far as movement goes, Flames are brisk now. We have good movement on Flames, and I think that is due to a lot of promotability on Flame seedless. Thompson movement has just been steady. There is the most demand on Flames."
Jim DeMalo at US Produce Exchange in Gloucester City, NJ, said Feb. 1 that "red[s] and Flames are moving very, very well and a lot [of] people are on promotion, so demand exceeds [supply] now on Flames. It will stay that way until next week. The northern area is finishing and the central valley is coming on slowly. Green grapes are kind of slow, with a range in quality. The promotions are on Flames. We're all pushing hard to get greens out."
Mr. DeMalo expected the green volume to drop in the week of Feb. 6, and Flame volume "will increase a little."
In the Chilean stone fruit business, Jim Hickey, produce buyer for Redner's Warehouse Markets in Reading, PA, said Jan. 30, "Availability has not been an issue on our side." Working through Redner's primary Chilean fruit importer, T.M. Kovacevich International Inc. in Philadelphia, the chain has had Chilean tree ripened stone fruit -- the "Ripe & Ready" brand -- "on promotion for the last month, and that will continue."
Redner's was receiving the stone fruit at "$16.50 laid in to us." Redner's grocery store in Lansdale, PA, had stone fruit priced a $1.48 a pound on the night of Jan. 30. Mr. Hickey commented that the Chilean stone fruit industry "has to stay aggressive" to move its volumes.
Mr. Tsunoda said, "The market right now is very flat on peaches. The market is $8 to $10 on peaches now and that is suffering the brunt of the [market] conditions the most. Nectarine movement is still brisk. The market there is substantially higher at $14 to $16 on nectarines, with good movement and some good promotional activities on nectarines. That will help maintain a steady posture for the next several weeks.
"Plum-wise," Mr. Tsunoda continued, the market for red and black "is basically steady and the market on 50s is $12 to $14 and on the 40 series it's $14 to $16. You'll probably see the plum market decline as we go into mid- to latter February as import numbers will pick up."
He also said, "Chilean apricots have been done for two weeks and New Zealand apricot imports have been spotty. The only thing right now that has been burdened by supplies has been peaches, as indicated by the markets."
Mr. Tsunoda said that white fleshed peach varieties had spotty supplies that will not increase until mid- to late February.
Mr. DeMalo said that US Produce Exchange does not handle much stone fruit volume. But he said that his firm had been receiving calls for Chilean plums, which he took as an indication that the market is "a little tight."
Mr. Hickey said that the Chilean deal this season "came out of the gate with smaller fruit with tiny red and white grapes. There is real good sugar now." While he was disappointed by the taste of late January plums, "I really think they do a great job with grapes."
Kenny Tsunoda at All Fresh Produce Inc. in Los Angeles said Feb. 1 that this "transition is occurring as it normally does this time of year. The later Thompsons out of the northern area are seeing a little more discoloration and occasional condition problems as we finish in that district. As far as movement goes, Flames are brisk now. We have good movement on Flames, and I think that is due to a lot of promotability on Flame seedless. Thompson movement has just been steady. There is the most demand on Flames."
Jim DeMalo at US Produce Exchange in Gloucester City, NJ, said Feb. 1 that "red[s] and Flames are moving very, very well and a lot [of] people are on promotion, so demand exceeds [supply] now on Flames. It will stay that way until next week. The northern area is finishing and the central valley is coming on slowly. Green grapes are kind of slow, with a range in quality. The promotions are on Flames. We're all pushing hard to get greens out."
Mr. DeMalo expected the green volume to drop in the week of Feb. 6, and Flame volume "will increase a little."
In the Chilean stone fruit business, Jim Hickey, produce buyer for Redner's Warehouse Markets in Reading, PA, said Jan. 30, "Availability has not been an issue on our side." Working through Redner's primary Chilean fruit importer, T.M. Kovacevich International Inc. in Philadelphia, the chain has had Chilean tree ripened stone fruit -- the "Ripe & Ready" brand -- "on promotion for the last month, and that will continue."
Redner's was receiving the stone fruit at "$16.50 laid in to us." Redner's grocery store in Lansdale, PA, had stone fruit priced a $1.48 a pound on the night of Jan. 30. Mr. Hickey commented that the Chilean stone fruit industry "has to stay aggressive" to move its volumes.
Mr. Tsunoda said, "The market right now is very flat on peaches. The market is $8 to $10 on peaches now and that is suffering the brunt of the [market] conditions the most. Nectarine movement is still brisk. The market there is substantially higher at $14 to $16 on nectarines, with good movement and some good promotional activities on nectarines. That will help maintain a steady posture for the next several weeks.
"Plum-wise," Mr. Tsunoda continued, the market for red and black "is basically steady and the market on 50s is $12 to $14 and on the 40 series it's $14 to $16. You'll probably see the plum market decline as we go into mid- to latter February as import numbers will pick up."
He also said, "Chilean apricots have been done for two weeks and New Zealand apricot imports have been spotty. The only thing right now that has been burdened by supplies has been peaches, as indicated by the markets."
Mr. Tsunoda said that white fleshed peach varieties had spotty supplies that will not increase until mid- to late February.
Mr. DeMalo said that US Produce Exchange does not handle much stone fruit volume. But he said that his firm had been receiving calls for Chilean plums, which he took as an indication that the market is "a little tight."
Mr. Hickey said that the Chilean deal this season "came out of the gate with smaller fruit with tiny red and white grapes. There is real good sugar now." While he was disappointed by the taste of late January plums, "I really think they do a great job with grapes."
