by Bernardo Lopez FoodBizDaily.com
March 11 2010 - After the occurrence of an earthquake that killed hundreds of people in Chile, the country’s fruit exports have been greatly damaged. With entire towns washed away, consumers of apples will most likely see increases in the price as the country recuperates from the damaging earthquake.
It is possible that apple exports could drop 5% from the estimated 745,000 tonnes expected for 2010. The earthquake hit vital cooling installations used to keep fruits fresh , according to Fedefruta head Rodrigo Echeverria.
Fedefruta said downed electricity and broken roads can ruin an entire industry in Chile, the world’s 3rd biggest apple exporters.
"This is an initial estimate after damage to farms' infrastructure," said Echeverria, adding "What's important now is to prevent further damage to (fruit) production."
While grape plantations in Chile went unharmed, avocado crops could be hit with the same problem as the apple production.