BerryBroad

As international trade in fruits and vegetables expands, consumers are benefiting from a wider variety of produce to choose from and year-round-supply due to increased trade between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Among all the agricultural sectors, fruit and vegetable trade has expanded at a higher rate than other agricultural commodities, according to USDA statistics from 1980 to 2004.

Crops grown in the Southern Hemisphere are exposed to a milder climate than in the Northern Hemisphere due to the pattern of air currents, less pollution, and the angle of the sun in terms of the length of day required for harvest. Geographic patterns play a key role in a variety of micro-climates ranging from semi-arid to Mediterranean in these countries. For example, Chile has five different growing regions which leads to a wide range of agricultural exports from grapes to poultry, fish and timber.

This is the second of a monthly series in which the BerryBroad will be writing for Fresh Fruit Portal as Contributing Produce Correspondent.  To read the rest of this article, please click here.