Dole Food Co., Thousand Oaks, Calif., acquired TucFrut’s farms and packing facilities in Molina and Linares, Chile. The TucFrut property, located 140 miles south of Santiago, consists of five different farms spread over 2,400 acres, and currently produces apples, blueberries and kiwifruit on over 1,600 acres.

“With the acquisition of TucFrut, we are strengthening our leadership of Dole’s Chilean deciduous export business and diversified fruit operations,” says Johan Linden, president and COO of Dole Food. “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 TucFrut farm will strengthen Dole’s current product portfolio with premium apple varieties and kiwifruit. The acquisition will also provide the company’s first own production of Chilean blueberries. The purchase also provides Dole farmland that has yet 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. “The TucFrut fruit farms acquisition is the most visible part of our growth in Chile this year.”

This acquisition is aligned with the company’s push toward investing and upgrading its packing and post-harvest infrastructure as well as improving grower services.