Chilean raisins, the new grapes?

That's the premise of this feature in The Santiago Times, which describes the appeal of the dried fruit.

From the story:

With 2006 generally recognized as a poor year for Chilean table grapes because of competitive markets and a low valued US$, some producers are looking to try their hand in raisin production. For table grape farmers in Chile, excess production and low prices have made it difficult to shift into other products. For this reason, some farmers are considering dedicating all their grapevines to raisin production.José Olmedo produced table grapes in Region V until 1990, when he began to produce raisins exclusively. He says he can never lose while he continues to produce raisins. “While with grapes there was always the risk that I could lose money, I’m always sure of earning something with raisins. Not very much, but something.

TK; Don't worry too much about Chilean fresh grapes fading away anytime soon. Season to date exports to the U.S. through Feb. 10 were 400.9 million pounds, up 23% from year-ago levels.