MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fruit and vegetables in Chile forecasted to soar 20% because of the drought

Grapes, lettuce, cabbage, citrus among the most affected

Chilean farmers and produce distributors estimate that prices will increase for some fruits and vegetables by as much as 10 to 20% within the next 60 days, due to water shortages in northern and central Chile.

Distributors expect avocados, grapes, lettuce, cabbage, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and citrus trees to be most affected by the drought.

Dry weather conditions lower the fruit quality and make irrigation more expensive, meaning lower output and increased production costs. Currently 6,000 farmers are experiences water shortages in the Coquimbo and Valparaíso regions in central Chile.

Antonio Walker, the president of Chile’s national fruit producers’ federation, Fedefruta, estimates that production levels have dropped by 10% because of the water shortages.

The farmers who are currently planting crops will likely be most affected by the drought, and are at risk of losing half of their crops during the March and April harvest.

Walker also warned that the next region at risk of declaring a state of emergency could be the Maule Region in central Chile.

Its rivers are flowing at just 50% of their usual levels.

Alejandro Cifuentes, president of Hortalizas de Chile, notes that the actual increase in price will depend on the ability of other regions to make up for the lack of supply. If regions in the southern part of Chile—which have not been affected by the drought—can compensate production levels, price fluctuations will be less dramatic.

By Tatiana Cary – Santiago Times