Chilean Blueberries Became Standout Fruit During Chinese New Year

Chilean blueberries have been performing well on the Chinese market in the 2022/23 season, especially during the leadup to Spring Festival from early January and throughout the holiday itself.

According to data from the Chilean Blueberry Committee of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX), Chile had exported 5,042 metric tons of fresh blueberries to China (including Hong Kong) as of Feb. 14, 2023. Shipments of Chilean blueberries to China peaked between week 49 of 2022 and week 3 of 2023, which coincided with the celebrations marking the start of both 2023 and the Year of the Rabbit.

Owing to a combination of positive factors, including relaxed epidemic control measures and improved logistics, Chile’s blueberry shipments to China have been more evenly distributed throughout the season this time around, without large volumes being excessively concentrated in a relatively short period of time. The leadup to Chinese New Year is the peak sales period for imported fruits in China. During this time, the import volume of Chilean blueberries was much higher than the combined volume of blueberries from other countries, making Chilean blueberries one of the standout fruits on the market.

In recent years, Chilean blueberries have reportedly been doing an excellent job in terms of cultivar development. The blueberry industry in Chile encourages growers to update their plants to keep up with the ever-evolving market demand. Because of this, over 70% of Chilean blueberry exports are now of new varieties.

ASOEX estimates that Chile will have exported 98,228 metric tons of fresh blueberries by the end of the 2022/23 season. This season’s harvesting work was expected to last until early February, with all shipments due to be completed by early March.

Image: ASOEX