At a time of significant supply growth, as well as climatic and logistical challenges, Chile and Peru are joining forces to strategically address the realities of the grape industry.
On the 8th of August, the Global Grape Convention 2024, will be held at the Casino Monticello Events Center in Chile. The event will bring together representatives from both countries: Frutas de Chile (formerly ASOEX) through its Table Grape Committee, and the Association of Table Grape Producers of Peru (PROVID).
“We are at a defining moment for table grapes worldwide,” says Ignacio Caballero, executive director of the Chilean Fruit Grape Committee, highlights the importance of this meeting. “The decision must be made if we will invest together as a block, to stimulate demand and guarantee the growth and development of the sector in the coming years, or if we will let the market operate and the grapes will increasingly lower their value for consumers.”
Manuel Enrique Yzaga Dibos, president of PROVID, emphasized the need to adopt a realistic and proactive approach.
“It is essential that all industry actors understand the importance of acting responsibly in the face of the challenges we face,” he said. “In this context, the Globe Grape Convention offers a unique opportunity to foster a purposeful and productive dialogue.”
Both leading countries will seek not only to reveal key and updated information on the international market to attendees, but also to bring together the world’s main retailers and importers to promote, increase and diversify consumption.
Integrating experiences for success
The Global Grape Convention promises offers a superb platform to understand the variables affecting the growth and development of the crop, which is also undergoing a profound transformation with respect to varieties.
“We must be more involved in what is happening, understanding well trends and what markets and consumers require, as well as operations, since this is a very dynamic endeavor,” acknowledges Ricardo Koch, general manager of Exportadora Río Blanco. “Today, this information is available to all of us in this industry, through instances like these. We cannot waste them.”
For this purpose, the event has prepared informative talks; specialized analyses of various markets and consumers, including North America, England, and China; envisioning new marketing and communication strategies; opportunities in logistics; and discussion panels where the main experts and key actors share past, current, and future scenarios of grape production and marketing globally, contributing a general overview and a call to collaborate in the success of the coming seasons.
Gustavo Yentzen, CEO of Yentzen Group, organizers of the event, highlights the objective of promoting cooperation and the exchange of ideas and actions. “We want to encourage a commercial debate,” he says. “More than purely technical, it is constructive and promotes innovation and competitiveness in the industry, uniting the unions of two relevant countries, focusing on the issues that we know affect the sector and, of course, integrating international experience.”
