Curry & Co.'s is ramping up its year-round berry program with the formation of Curry Fruit Chile SA in Santiago, Chile.

Curry Fruit Chile SA will be responsible for the growth and development of all South American product being shipped to Curry & Co. in North America and to customers in Europe and Asia, according to a press release announcing the new division, which will focus on quality fruit, an efficient distribution network, and grower relations in Chile, Argentina and Peru.

Argentina blueberry shipments will begin in early October and shipments from Chile will start in November and end about April. A full range of consumer packs will be available for the length of each respective season.

Ernesto Pino, who has been in the fruit industry since 1992 and who was an executive at Vitalberry for the last six years, is a founding and managing partner of Curry Fruit Chile SA. Prior to joining Vitalberry, he worked for Del Monte Fresh Produce in Chile and Europe in a wide variety of positions.

Curry & Co.'s evolving year-round berry program is managed by Bruce Turner, director of berry development, who joined the company in the spring of 2013.

"The berry category is growing and consumer demand worldwide is pushing this growth toward a higher quality product and service," Pino said in the press release. "The opportunity to help launch and develop Curry Fruit Chile SA and Curry & Company's year-round berry program is exciting, and the timing is perfect to meet the needs of consumers."

"The blueberry phenomenon continues to grow," Matt Curry, president of Curry & Co., which is headquartered in Brooks, OR, added in the press release. "[Blueberries] are a product that consumers respond to year round, and consumers expect to find berries in produce departments each and every shopping trip. The time to capitalize on this growth is now. We've made investments at our blueberry packing facility in Brooks, OR, and have proven our commitment to this category by launching Curry Fruit Chile SA. Adding Ernesto to our team is exciting. He is a well-respected industry professional."

In addition to its year-round berry program, Curry & Co. supplies sweet onions and onions throughout the year, and it has a seasonal Vidalia sweet carrot program and a seasonal West Coast blackberry program.