“Maylen”: New Chilean table grape variety to be marketed abroad

“Behind every box of fruit there is a story of a family, of a group of entrepreneurs, the identity of a country. This kind of initiative is what we are seeking to promote from within our Ministry, the kind that brings together innovation, small-scale family farmers and associativity.” With these words Agriculture Minister, Antonio Walker, described the impact that Maylen, the first commercial table grape variety in Chile, created after 30 years of research thanks to a public-private partnership, is having on international markets such as China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Korea and Japan.

To this end, Minister Walker said that “we need to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the world in our production. We need food that is wholesome and organic, varieties with their own identity. And regardless the consumption of this variety worldwide, it is a variety that will go to top-price niche markets, because flavor comes at a price and this variety is very delicious.”

Along this line, the Minister specified that the planted surface of this variety in Chile covers 375 hectares, representing 18.8% of black grape varieties planted nationwide. In countries such as Peru, this variety spans 80 hectares. “Our goal is to reach exports of the first million boxes of a product whose organoleptic conditions are one of the best in the world,” he said.

Another aspect addressed by Minister Walker was the contribution this research has made to the country. “This adds alternatives to our basket of exports. We need new varieties with good organoleptic conditions, with our own identity, to conquer international markets,” he said. He also clarified that genetic improvement is key, but that it is long-term work that needs to continue supporting the collaboration between public and private sectors in order to obtain new varieties.

The statements were made as part of a field day carried out in the municipality of Los Andes, where a group of 19 small fruit growers in San Felipe and Los Andes -

under Fair Trade certification- have been able to produce and export boxes of Maylen table grapes, through an associative promotion project sponsored by the government, known as MiFruta (My Fruit).

During the activity, organized by the Biofruit Consortium and CORFO, Minister Walker was accompanied by CORFO Executive Vice-President, Sebastián Sichel; INIA National Director, Pedro Bustos; Fedefruta President, Jorge Valenzuela, as well as stakeholders in the fruit sector and regional authorities.

“Maylen was created through conventional genetic improvement, which consists of successive cross pollination between different varieties over a long period of time, in search of certain traits. The improvement uses pollen to reproduce the plants. This process, carried out by INIA, took many years until the current variety was finally obtained. Therefore, it is with great pride to be able to show today the grape plantations of the Maylen variety, in collaboration with CORFO and Biofruit,” highlighted the National Director of INIA.

For his part, the Executive Vice-President of CORFO said that this activity is a fundamental milestone in how Chilean production sectors should develop, placing them at the forefront in a country that not only produces things, but also thinks them through, making quality items to compete in world markets. “Here we have a grape that was created in Chile, with associated smallholder farmers, funds from public and private entities developing this product, and small growers, that are world-class in the way they are producing today.”

For his part, the President of Fedefruta, Jorge Valenzuela, explained that “as CORFO operators in the region, we have worked for nearly ten years with these small growers in the Aconcagua zone, providing them with the tools for associativity, to access new genetics and to become competitive in markets as demanding as Great Britain, China and Korea. Today, seeing their vineyards of Maylen grapes, entirely developed in Chile by INIA and Biofruit, and their packing processes, we are very happy to corroborate that this is the path to take, one of accessing new varieties, and of associating to strengthen the position of small growers in the global world.”

Advantages of MAYLEN®

Maylen is a natural-looking bluish-black seedless grape, with an excellent intense classic flavor, and improved post-harvest properties that allow it to be shipped to distant markets after prolonged storage, in excellent condition and to be offered at favorable times of the year.

Maylen has outstanding flavor and post-harvest characteristics. It is a black grape, harvested in mid to late season (between Thompson S. and Crimson), with an excellent taste, very green stalk, healthy fruit and plants and very good post-harvest characteristics, with a storage period of up to 90 days.

The word “Maylen” or “Maylén” is a word from the indigenous Mapuche language and means ‘Princess: a powerful, noble and intelligent woman.’