Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022 - 51

The peach and nectarine harvest began with three to four varieties,
while the plum harvest began in mid-December. For now, the main
varieties are Early Majestic in peaches and Zee Fire in nectarines, Brux
said. The quality of the fruit is good, with nice sizing, color, soluble
solids and firmness.
Chile is the world's largest exporter of cherries, shipping more than
70.5 million boxes around the globe last season. Estimate for this year is
72.4 million boxes, Brux said. Harvested varieties were primarily Santina
and Royal Dawn, followed by Bing.
" No problems like lack of pickers or weather events have been
reported, so these factors have not affected the quality of the fruit, "
she said.
Coty said that overall, imported cherries are a rapidly growing
category with dramatic growth coming from Chile.
" While in the past, Chilean producers have concentrated on the Asian
market, they have committed to growing in North America this next
season, " he said. " Oppy will also receive cherries from Argentina and
New Zealand. "
North America is expected to receive a substantial increase on import
cherries this season with peaches and nectarines arriving in similar
quantities to last year, with promotable volumes February through April,
Coty added.
Promotional activity for Chilean cherries in the United States will be
heaviest in early January and continue through February.
CFFA's new cherry promotion campaign
for this season is " Cherrish Every Moment. "
" It's a fun and playful line that reminds us
to enjoy and hold dear the simple everyday
moments in life, and that by adding
cherries to the mix they become even more
special, " Brux said, adding that the group is
developing point-of-sale and social media
assets to support the campaign.
As for blueberries, the Chilean Blueberry
Committee projects global export volumes
of 117,000 tons, similar to the total exported
the previous season. Total volume exported
globally through Week 48 was 8,124 tons,
22% less than last season. Of this volume,
1,673 tons of blueberries (21%) were organic.
Looking at the United States specifically,
3,290 tons have been shipped to the
country through Week 48. Of this volume,
1,637 tons (49,8%) was organic. The US is,
by far, the primary destination for organic
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JANUARY 2022 - 51
blueberries from Chile. To date, Chile has shipped 97.8% of its organic
blueberries to the US.
" There have been some delays due to logistics and labor shortages,
but we expect significant volumes to be reaching the US in early
January, " Brux said.
The main exported variety in Week 48 was Duke (27% of exported
volume in Week 48), followed by Suzie Blue and Star. These three
varieties comprise 65% of the blueberries exported in Week 48, she said.
Varietal replacement is a reality in Chile, with new varieties reaching
25% of total volume, Brux said. Organic blueberries are also growing in
volume, with roughly 18% of total exports expected to be organic. The
United States receives a greater allocation of organic, so organic volume
shipped to this market could reach 28% of the total.
" The biggest challenges to this season in Chile are the availability of
manpower and port logistics, " she said. " Of course, the port issues in
the US will further complicate matters. None of these problems are new,
so the exporters and importers are continuing to work through them
and take whatever steps possible to deliver the freshest, best tasting
blueberries to shoppers. "
Brux said the CFFA is excited to be returning to in-store promotions
this season and looks forward to showcasing the " superior flavor " of
Chilean blueberries through in-store sampling.
" While we kicked off our promotions in late December and continued
into early March, we will run numerous in-store and online promotions
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