ZCZC
BCN-43
ASIA-N.AFRICA-CHILE-WINE-INDUSTRY
Asia, North Africa key to growth of Chilean wine sales: minister
SANTIAGO, Sept. 5, 2018 (BSS/Xinhua) – Asian and North African markets
hold the key to growth for Chile’s wine sales, Agriculture Minister Antonio
Walker said on Tuesday.
“The future of Chile’s wine industry must aim at positioning itself more
strongly in international markets such as China, India, Southeast Asia and
North Africa,” Walker said at a ceremony marking National Wine Day.
The goal of Chilean winemakers is “to conquer China, to do in India what
we have done in China, conquer Southeast Asia and North Africa,” said Walker.
To expand the country’s export markets, the private and public sectors
must work together, he said.
“The private world, the government and the winemaking world have to meet
up,” said Walker, adding the Agrarian Policies and Studies Bureau is the
venue for exchanging ideas, identifying challenges and “taking charge of the
problems.”
Chile is the world’s fourth-largest wine exporter, according to the
minister.
The ceremony was hosted by the Santa Carolina Vineyard, one of the
country’s oldest, and drew officials from several sectors as well as the
president of export promotion agency Wines of Chile, Mario Pablo Silva.
“For such a small country to be such an important global player in the
consumption of wine is reason to be very proud,” said Walker.
Chile’s wine exports generate some 2 billion U.S. dollars in revenue each
year, according to Walker.
“Wine exports account for 5.7 percent of the country’s non-copper exports,
it’s a huge sector that continues to have a great future,” he said.
Copper is Chile’s main export product.
BSS/XINHUA/HR/1450