Dole Food Company announced it has acquired TucFrut Farms and packing facilities located in Molina and Linares, Chile for an undisclosed amount.

The property which is located 140 miles south of Santiago, consists of five farms spanning 1,000 hectares (2,400 acres). Of this acreage, 660 hectares (1,631 acres) is planted in apples, blueberries, and kiwifruit, according to Fresh Fruit Portal.

The deal will satisfy multiple growth strategies for Dole including the expansion of its product portfolio with the addition of premium apple and kiwifruit varieties, the addition of the company’s first owned production platform of blueberries in Chile, the upgrading of its post-harvest infrastructure, and the improvement of its grower services.

“With the acquisition of TucFrut, we are strengthening our leadership of Dole’s Chilean deciduous export business and diversified fruit operations,” said Johan Linden, president and chief operating officer of Dole in a company statement. “Dole Chile has been a success story for Dole since the 1980s based on our grower supply and a worldwide distribution under the Dole label.”

The deal also gains Dole 340 hectares, or 841 acres, of farmland that is ready to be developed for production.

“A large portion of the farm is yet to be planted and we intend to plant varieties that will satisfy our customers’ needs in the years to come,” says Francisco Chacon, President of Dole Diversified Fruit Operations.

TucFrut and the packing facilities will join Dole’s current 11 packing and cold storage facilities it owns and operates in Chile along with its fresh-cut salad plant and a small local fruit distribution company according to the company’s website, however, Francisco Chacon says, “The TucFrut fruit farms acquisition is the most visible part of our growth in Chile this year.”

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Lynda Kiernan