ALTA DEL CARMEN, CHILE - It will be weeks until substantial volume is shipped, but so far the Chilean fruit shipping season has been flawless.

Among the earlier grapes shipped will be those of grower Omar Campillay of Agricola Campillay, here. The brilliantly sunny Transito Valley is almost 200 miles north of the larger and better-known deciduous growing area of Vicuna. The Transito River and wells provide life for Mr. Campillay's vineyards, which stretch seven kilometers up the valley from the expanded packinghouses of Agricola Campillay. This is the southern end of the Atacama Valley, a region that is the driest in the world. Alta del Carmen averages 18 millimeters a year "but it hasn't rained this year," he noted.

The Transito River flows with Andean snow melt, providing brilliantly green vineyards against a starkly dry, brown and barren mountainous landscape. A year ago Mr. Campillay's vineyard suffered frost damage, as did scattered other growers in this long, narrow Pacific nation. Cold, which is about the only threat to his crops other than wind, has not been a problem this year. Mr. Campillay anticipates harvesting the first of his 300 hectares (750 acres) about Nov. 12. His table grapes will arrive in the United States the last week of December. "By the time we arrive in the U.S., Mexico is done," he said.

Mr. Campillay said that the Transito River Valley saw freezing temperatures in September 2005, which was a first for September in 20 years. That hard frost reduced his crop by 25 percent, "which is very unusual." When The Produce News toured his valley on Sept. 24-25, the weather was perfectly clear and the tiny grapes were very healthy. Pruners worked the orderly vineyards of Agricola Campillay to assure maximum productively at harvest time.

Working from his office in Santiago, Francisco Correa, a partner and general manager of Exportadora Ben David S.A., said Sept. 26, "The weather has been very good. So, if nothing happens in the next two months, we will have a very good crop of stone fruit, cherries and all products in general. Until now, everything is OK, but it's too early to know."

For Hortifrut S.A. in Santiago, blueberry harvest began Sept. 27. Carlos Vial, production manager for the firm, said that Hortifrut's early blueberries were coming from northern Chile, north of Vicuna. "The crop looks good and a little earlier than last year."

Driscoll's of Chile S.A. in Santiago also exported its first blueberries of the new season during the week of Sept. 25, according to Sofia Rebolledo, commercial manager for the firm.

Driscoll's of Chile will be exporting blueberries until the second week of April. The firm and its associated growers will increase exports to 2 million blueberry trays this year, up from 1.4 million a year ago. The entire Chilean industry will export about 11 million trays this year, she said. That production is expected to expand rapidly as there are so many young plantings approaching maturity.

Ms. Rebolledo said that the quality of the blueberries -- and other berries -- in Chile this year is very good.

Felipe Juillerat, commercial manager of Vital Berry Marketing S.A. in Santiago, said Sept. 28 that his firm will be shipping blueberries to the United States, the United Kingdom and the Far East "in two or three weeks. It's an extremely nice new crop. We have had very nice growing conditions."

Patricio Toro, commercial manager of Copefrut S.A. in Curico, Chile, said that as of a Sept. 28 interview, Copefrut's stone fruit and kiwifruit were in excellent condition. "At this moment, we have a very, very good season. We have had good weather, good flower and we expect a good season.

But, he cautioned of Mother Nature's fickleness, saying, "Between today and November, we could have a possible [fruit] drop or a freeze."

If all goes as expected, the company is to begin shipping its first cherries about Nov. 10. That deal may run into early January.