Ailsa Perez-Ulecia explains –
The Chilean raisin crop has developed well and we hear of no issues during the year which could have affected the crop size or quality. The expected crop is looking to be in the region of 70,000MT – 75,000MT. In Chile the raisin crop is predicated on the fresh grape industry (table grapes) which is a very hot active market.
So the driers compete heavily for 2nd grade raw material thus pushing the prices up. As a result of these high raisin export prices, we have seen demand reduction over the past 2 to 3 years; those who could replace with alternative origins such as Turkish or South African have done so.
With a good crop coming plus a certain level of carryover and the desire to stimulate demand – we expect to see competitive new crop prices coming out in February