Gourmet Trading Co. cites large increase in organic blueberries from Chile this year
Gourmet Trading Co. cites large increase in organic blueberries from Chile this year
In mid-March, Gourmet Trading Co., headquartered in Los Angeles, was continuing its movement of both organic and conventional blueberries from Chile.
Chloé Varennes, marketing manager for the fwwirm, said that both quality and rotation of the Chilean blueberries has been excellent this season. The items run from November through March.
“We saw a large increase in demand of our organic blueberry program with six-ounce, 4.4-ounce and 18-ounce pack styles,” said Varennes. “And we have seen a significant increase in demand for our blues. Gourmet Trading met that demand with corresponding volumes for the 2014-2015 program in comparison to 2013-2014.”
In addition to blueberries, Gourmet Trading Co. supplies other year-round quality fruits and vegetables. It services both retail stores and foodservice operations nationwide from its Los Angeles, Miami and New Jersey facilities. It also ships in Asia.
Varennes explained that challenges related to fumigation continue to persist on product from Chile.
“Mandatory fumigation from Regions VI, VII and VIII continue to challenge growers and receivers,” she said. “We are always learning more about how to best handle fruit quality under this new protocol. Also, there were port delays in the west, and inclement weather in the east, both of which added to the challenges from a logistical standpoint.”
Varennes also pointed out that many U.S. handlers of Chilean fruit say that growers and exporters in Chile are highly experienced professionals that do an outstanding job at exporting.
“Chilean exporters are good, but other countries in the region are catching up to them,” said Varennes. “Growers and exporters in Argentina, Peru and other countries in the region are, for the most part, on par today with the professionalism and quality of growers and exporters in Chile.”
She also noted that the berry category has especially enjoyed increases in demand in the U.S. in recent years.
“Much of the growth is attributed to the health benefits of berries and the media coverage on this topic,” she said. “We have seen increased demand due to the nutritional benefits of berries. This has driven a lot of the growth of the category, but the production has kept up nicely by creating an ideal environment for overall category growth.”
