green and red grapes

The Joys of Trading South of the Equator.

By Dan Avakian


We all look forward to the months our favorite produce comes into season—asparagus in the spring, cherries in May. But these days, it’s easy to be confused about what’s in season when.

For instance, we see navel oranges and tangelos in the summer, grapes and cherries in January and peaches and nectarines in December. When out of season in California, kiwi fruit is imported from New Zealand, Chile, Italy and South Africa. Red seedless grapes from Chile come to us December through May. Asparagus is imported from Peru, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia.

The list of imports goes on, with more items added each year. Since 2000, fresh produce imports to the United States increased 12 percent and exports dropped 3 percent.

Concerned consumers and politicians advocate country of origin labeling on all fruit and vegetables. I agree with labeling as long as it doesn’t add additional cost to the farmers who make the least profit on their yields. Many large conventional and organic American growers with crops in Chile and Mexico face strict growing standards to export their crops to the United States and Europe.

So, why do we import fresh produce from other counties when we grow enough of our own here? Well, the market demands fresh fruit items practically year-round, and the only way it can be done is for the fruit to come from the Southern Hemisphere where the seasons are reversed. When it’s winter here, it’s summer south of the equator; and when it’s summer here, it’s winter there. The same goes with fall and spring, so produce items can come to the United States when they are out of season here. Our main suppliers are Mexico, Chile and New Zealand, but we import fresh produce from several other countries. In the winter, our melons, tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, cucumbers and summer squash varieties come from Mexico and several Central American countries. Peaches, nectarines, plums, grapes and cherries are imported from Chile.

While Chile’s growing region is much like California’s Central Valley, Chile has a few advantages. According to the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association, the unique geography of Chile provides its crops with plenty of natural barriers to insects and disease. Protected by the Andes Mountains to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Atacama Desert to the north and the Antarctic ice cap to the south, the fruit regions of Chile enjoy long healthy growing seasons. It is truly one of the world’s cleanest growing regions. Other crops from Chile include several apple and pear varieties, persimmons and wine grapes.

Overall, Chilean growers do an excellent job when it comes to the quality of their fruit, with the exception of one area: I’ve yet to taste a peach or a nectarine from Chile that compares to our California summer fruit. Because the ships that carry them take a few weeks to get here, and the product is under refrigeration for so long while not yet fully ripened, the fruit is mealy and mushy by the time it hits the stores. This produce is better suited for pies and tarts rather than out-of-hand eating.

So these days, if you find yourself craving fruit in or out of season, most likely you’ll be able to find it—from somewhere.