The Chilean port of Valparaíso is undergoing a commercial and cultural renaissance as business booms and plans to redevelop 70,000 square metres of brownfield land move apace.

Over the past decade millions of dollars in public and private funding have poured into the UNESCO World Heritage City to enhance both civic and commercial infrastructure.

Valparaíso, from where over 60 percent of Chilean fresh fruit is shipped – 1.168 million tonnes in 2005/2006 – is today seeing results of the investment. Port authority Empresa Portuaria Valparaíso (EPV) predicts the overall volume of general cargo handled in 2006 to grow by around 31 percent compared to 2005.

To illustrate the success, in September 2006 the port handled a total of 643,589 tonnes of general cargo, which represented a growth of 68.3 percent compared to September 2005. The accumulated total until September inclusive was 5,901,452 tonnes, a 31.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2005.

Since 2000, Terminal Pacífico Sur (TPS), the main private concession, has invested US$40 million in new equipment and technology including two state-of-the-art gantry cranes for Terminal No.1, which enables it to efficiently process even the largest container vessels that service the western coast of South America. And thanks to a new logistical scheme involving EPV, shipping companies and fresh fruit exporters, the average time spent in port by cargo vessels picking up fresh fruit during the 2006/2007 season will drop from an average of 43 hours to around 31 hours.

Meanwhile, from the latter half of 2007, fresh fruit exporters can take advantage of a 23km access road being built that will directly connect the port to a brand-new logistics depot on the outskirts of the city. Heavy goods vehicles currently have to go through the historic city centre to reach the dockside.

The success of the port is due to a joint effort, according to Harald Jaeger, general manager of EPV.

Harald said: “It is down to the fulfilment of our strategic development plan, which is based on a strong synergy between the public and private sectors, where the port authority represented by EPV, TPS and other players have all helped enhance levels of quality, competitiveness and ability.”

The Chilean fresh fruit exporting industry has experienced strong growth in recent years – and in 2006/2007 it could expand by as much as 5 percent, according to Ronald Bown, the president of the Chilean Exporters Association (ASOEX).

The financial and operational investment in Valparaíso, from infrastructure to logistics, ensures that the fresh fruit exporters’ most important port keeps pace with their growth. And, most importantly, the investment ensures that the jewels of Chile’s bountiful fields, orchards and vineyards reach the dining table as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Meanwhile, EPV has its sights set on also turning 70,000 square metres of unused dockland into a state-of-the-art civic and commercial hub, a move designed to enhance the waterfront area, create local jobs and attract more tourists.

The project, which follows the opening in 2005 of a 43km metro system connecting Valparaíso to the agricultural town of Limache, will help to further revitalise the city, a cultural cornucopia with a rich seafaring history which suffered a decline after the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914.

The contract to renovate the area, known as Puerto Barón, was recently awarded to the Chilean consortium Plaza Vespucio SA which had put forward a US$17.18 million offer to develop the site and manage it for 30 years. The scheme, which includes a promenade, a hotel and convention centre, apartments, offices and shops, is expected to generate 1,500 temporary construction jobs in addition to 2,500 direct and an undisclosed amount of indirect jobs. Germán Correa Díaz, the president of EPV, said: “This is good news for Valparaíso and its people. Puerto Barón is a project that will belong to residents, local organisations and community leaders, who have all contributed ideas and, without doubt, will continue doing so along with enjoying the ample space for their use and enjoyment.

“We are moving closer to realising the dream of renovating the waterfront of Valparaíso.”

Nicknamed the “Jewel of the Pacific” by seamen, the city obtained its first dock in 1810. Valparaíso is an exceptional testimony to the early phase of globalisation in the late 19th century, when it became the leading merchant port
on the sea routes of the Pacific coast of South America.

Between November 2005 and June 2006 the port of Valparaíso received 265 fruit vessels, of which 72 percent was handled by TPS.

Under the banner of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA), ASOEX works with Chile’s national growers’ association, Fedefruta, to promote overseas the jewels of the country’s orchards, fields and vineyards. Both the CFFA and ASOEX are based in Santiago, Chile.

Chile’s fresh fruit exporting industry is the leading player in the Southern Hemisphere with a 49.9 percent market stake, and is also the third most important sector in the national economy.

The industry consists of more than 7,800 producers, which commercialise their products through 518 exporting companies.

The industry has approxi-mately 215,000 hectares of planted area, with more than 75 species of fresh fruit products being exported directly to more than 100 countries which together represent 3 billion potential consumers.

Founded in 1935, The Chilean Exporters Association (ASOEX) is a non-profit private entity which represents Chile’s fresh fruit exporting industry. Its members represent 90 percent of the total volume of fresh fruit exported from Chile.