First Chilean fruits of season arrive at Delaware port
Delaware's Port of Wilmington received its first shipment of Chilean winter fruit of the season on Friday.
The shipment arrived on board Pacific Seaways' chartered refrigerated vessel Royal Klipper.
Last season, 150,000 pallets of Chilean fruit with a retail value of $600 million moved across the port's docks and through its warehouses. The port is owned and operated by the Diamond State Port Corp.
This year's Chilean fruit season started later than expected due to climate conditions. However, Diamond State said 'shippers are pleased with the large harvest and excellent quality of fruit portending a strong shipping season.'
Pacific Seaways and its American arm Pacific Delaware have chartered six reefer ships to transport this year's Chilean winter fruit. The Port of Wilmington anticipates a total of 29 ship calls from Chilean ports of Valparaiso, Coquimbo and Caldera, carrying mostly table grapes, but also some plums, nectarines, apricots, peaches, cherries, kiwi, and other deciduous fruit through April.