Faced with water scarcity, it is a fruit that thrives, and can open up markets in the dehydrated sector.
It will depend on the type of soil, but these days, the fig tree is a tree that offers advantages and is thriving. It is drought-resistant, and to obtain good yields and size of brebas or figs, it requires watering at least every other day.
These are the advantages that Martín Wielandt, a visionary entrepreneur and farmer from Melipilla, saw when he started his fig orchard in 2012, anticipating times of drought and betting on a fruit that is not causing him any anxiety at the moment.
They have planted approximately 6,500 trees on flat areas and hillsides, and their plan is to double this number. Their first commercial harvest was in 2016, and they intend to export fresh fruit, produce dried fruit, and also cultivate local fruit. In the coming years, total production should reach at least 180,000 kilos of fresh fruit.
“In general, it’s an undemanding crop, requiring little care, and the trees are quite robust. It’s an ancient tree, as old as grapes themselves. The Bible even mentions fig trees. On the other hand, harvesting presents some challenges, lasting for 10 weeks, as the fruit ripens in layers. This is a key difference compared to other fruits. You can plant 670 trees per hectare, and if you want to encourage the flowering of early figs (brebas), you can plant fewer, approximately 500. A good harvest yields 8,000 to 10,000 kilos per hectare,” explains Wielandt.
But their option is fig dehydration, as a way to make better use of the production, avoiding losses due to ripening, since figs are very perishable, they ripen quickly once harvested, requiring rapid marketing or processing.
“Dehydration has a lot of added value; it’s the first stage of an agro-industrial activity. This is an entirely new activity, different from fresh fruit production: moving the fruit, using trays, oven gas, additional machinery, careful storage, selection, hygienic management, etc. There are some products that justify this greater effort, for example, fig coffee, fig bars, and fig pastes for baking. However, dried figs, as a product, don’t justify all the investment and working capital. In this area, I compete with artisans who work under different conditions; they harvest, sun-dry, and sell in bulk sacks, without any technical specifications,” he explains.
“In the dried fruit market, plums and raisins are the most popular. Our intention is to develop this market, very gradually given the significant investments required. We want to add value to this fruit; it's very versatile, and we want to take advantage of its enormous potential—that's what we're working on,” Wielandt adds.
Martín Wielandt has innovated in pruning techniques, greatly facilitating harvesting. This is primarily due to the tree's shape. He leaves virtually no central trunk; the secondary branches grow at ground level. This allows for a more open, sunnier tree and easier harvesting.
Also starting this year, 2020, the certification process as an organic producer will begin. “We think the trend will be towards eating healthier, less processed fruit, as natural as possible. While it's true that yields are decreasing, we believe the organic fruit niche will continue to grow,” he says.
Currently in Chile, fig consumption comes primarily from domestic fig trees. It is estimated that wholesale markets nationwide handle around 250,000 kilos of fresh figs throughout the season. “There is much more need to develop the local market, especially the agro-industry, including preserves, jams, sweets, etc.,” says Wielandt.
It is estimated that there are approximately 350 hectares of fig trees in Chile, concentrated in regions IV, V, RM, VI and VII. “This is a tropical fruit, but since we have a Mediterranean climate, it produces a sweeter and less watery fruit,” he explains.
Choose figs during times of drought
Published on Portal Agro Chile / Grupo Prensa Digital | EV - July 31, 2020
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