Eight leading companies from Chile’s fruit industry — with extensive experience in production, export, and international commercialization — announced the creation of the new BabyPlum® Club, an unprecedented alliance aimed at driving a new premium category of high-sweetness plums and positioning it globally through long-term collaborative work.
The creation of the Club marks a milestone for Chile’s fruit industry: leading players — with scale and complementary capabilities — have decided to work together with a consumer- centric approach, developing a differentiated product with high standards at origin.
The project is led by Hortifrut Genetics, a global genetic innovation platform with more than 20 years of experience in research, varietal development, and international licensing. Its portfolio includes berries and high-value fruit such as cherries and premium plums, with varieties adopted by growers in different markets. With an approach that integrates genetics, agronomy, and consumer experience, Hortifrut Genetics also supports the development and international licensing of third-party genetics. As the holder of the global license for the second generation of the BabyPlum® program, Hortifrut Genetics coordinates the Club, safeguards the intellectual property, and guides the development of the category for international markets.
Ibergen Frutales
A benchmark company in stone fruit breeding based in Spain, provides the varietal foundation underpinning the BabyPlum® program, developed over years of technical work and rigorous selection. Its breeding programs combine selection and evaluation under different production conditions to ensure performance and quality.
The work will cover the entire production chain: from genetic breeding to field validation in order to define technical and production standards, with the aim of delivering a consistent premium experience across different markets. The joint work is focused on product development, while each company maintains its own commercial management.
Juan Ignacio Allende, member of the Advisory Board of Hortifrut Genetics and one of the drivers of the project, said: “This is very positive news for Chile’s fruit industry. The fact that eight leading companies in the sector have chosen to work with Hortifrut Genetics to select, test, and develop a premium plum program in Chile is a significant milestone. It reffects a shift in the way the country positions itself internationally, focusing on high-value fruit that can deliver differentiated experiences for consumers. This is a very strong trend in today’s most demanding markets.”
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José Villela, Manager of Hortifrut’s Prunus Program, said: “Our experience in other categories, such as cherries, has shown us the importance of planning with the market in mind and avoiding concentration in a single destination. BabyPlum® reffects that learning: the development of innovative genetics designed from the outset to compete in the premium segment on a global scale”
Juan Negueroles, founder of Ibergen Frutales, said: “At Ibergen, we have spent years dedicated to stone fruit breeding to develop superior varieties with real value for growers and consumers. BabyPlum® is the result of that work and, in this second generation, we seek to consolidate its proposition and project it internationally. That is why we brought in Hortifrut Genetics: its experience in articulating the Club, defining common production standards, and connecting the product with the market accelerates the building of the category.”
An alliance of eight leaders with complementary capabilities
The BabyPlum® Club brings together eight leading companies from Chile’s fruit industry, combining production capacity, strong export experience, and an established presence in key markets:
- Agrovic
- Baika
- Copefrut
- Garcés Fruit
- Gesex
- IMG
- Lafrut
- Sutil
BabyPlum®: an experience aligned with new consumption trends
BabyPlum® is positioned as a clear and attractive proposition at the point of sale, aligned with current consumption trends such as snackification, the search for healthy indulgence, and the preference for consistent premium experiences. In a ready-to-eat format, it offers intense flavor, high sweetness, juiciness, and a firm texture, designed to deliver a differentiated experience with high perceived value.
From a technical standpoint, BabyPlum® is geared toward export and long-distance shipping, with the goal of maintaining quality and freshness at destination. The program works with sweetness levels above 20° Brix and firmness above 3 kg (6.6 lb), as part of the standards that will help sustain the premium experience across different markets.
