SALEM COUNTY,
NJ. Twenty-three participants
of the New Jersey Agricultural
Leadership Development Program
(NJALDP) traveled to Chile recen
tly as part of the program.
One of the participants was Rob
Ferher, farm market manager of
Linvilla Orchards in Media, Pen
nsylvania, who also serves as pres
ident of the Pennsylvania Retail
Farm Market Association.
Ferher lives in Salem County
New Jersey and he and friend Joe
Vandcrwerkcn, a field agent for
Scabrook Brothers and Sons, a fro
zen vegetable processing company
in Scabrook, N.J., are scheduled to
be graduated from the NJALDP on
July 1.
The NJALDP is a two-year
leadership development program
sponsored by the New Jersey
Department of Agriculture, Rut
gers University, the New Jersey
Agricultural Society, and the new
Jersey Farm Bureau.
The program is designed to
develop informed and articulate
spokespersons for New Jersey
agriculture. A 12-day trip to Chile
was part of that program.
Ferber recently reported on his
experience in Chile, to share in his
words and photographs some of
the highlights of the agricultural
endeavors there, so that agricultur
alists and marketers here can better
understand the actual competitive
nature of the global marketplace.
ROB FERBER
Manager
Linvilla Orchards
Farm Market
Chile is like an island,
geographically isolated from the
rest of the world by the Atacama
Desert to the north, the Andres
Mountains to the east, the Pacific
Ocean to the west, and polar ice
caps to the south.
Because of this, agricultural
pest and disease problems are
minimal.
The climate, much like Califor
nia, is dry, but there is ample water
supply for irrigation from the
snowmelt off the Andes Moun
tains, making growing conditions
ideal.
Comparing our regional agricul
tural economy with Chile’s
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New Jersey Ag Leaders Visit Chile
economy the most stable in
Latin America Chile, like us
(in the Eastern United States), can
not compete (globally) in major
commodities, such as com, wheat
and soybeans.
In order to compete in the world
market, Chile has discovered and
developed niche markets all over
the world for many specialized
products.
The country is focused on
export agriculture. It is an econom
ic engine.
The Chilean people don’t con
sume much of their own first grade
produce if it’s good enough to
export, it goes on the boat
The advent of the global market
has been creating prosperity for
some in agriculture, and for others
it is resulting in depressed markets.
The Chilean agricultural sector is
no different Some producers are
doing well, others are suffering.
Open trade and the global eco
nomy are contributing to a pros
perous and expanding fruit indus
try in central Chile.
In southern Chile open trade has
flooded the market, (hiving down
beef and dairy prices with devas
tating consequences.
Although there is a lackof deve
loped domestic infrastructure
(roadways, etc.) in much of Chile,
it’s agricultural infrastructure is
very advanced.
Valparaiso, the major port we
visited, is a frenzied beehive of
activity. The trucks roll in like
clockwork.
The ship we visited costs
$15,000 per day to lease, with its
crew.
It holds more than 6,000 skids of
fruit in 16 controlled-atmosphere
chambers in the hull. Each skid is
bar-coded with the identity of the
crop and grower, its origin and
dale.
On the deck of the ship there
were 59 additional containers that
can be refrigerated and were to be
carrying fruit, garlic and seed.
Chilean fruit exporters take such
good care of their cargo that any
gaps in the load are filled in with
air bags.
It takes the ship 11 days to take a
cargo load from the port at Valpar
aiso to Philadelphia. It takes the
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THREE LOCATIONS
Three generations of Jorgensen family farmers produce apples for export and to
sell at their roadside stand. Standing in front of some of his orchard, the senior Mr.
Jurgeneen, at right, a former state senator in Chile, discusses the political realities of
the region with some of the 23 participants of the New Jersey Agricultural Leadership
Development Program.
Chilean workers in the ship’s hull pause while loading palletized grapes, kiwi,
plums, peaches and other fruit destined for the Port of Philadelphia.
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