Chinese Ambassador to Chile Attends Cherry Blossom Festival, 59% Increase in Cherry Export Volume Expected

Recently, at the invitation of Frutas de Chile, Chinese Ambassador to Chile Niu Qingbao attended the fourth annual cherry blossoming event in Chimbarongo, located in the O’Higgins region, a major cherry production area.

The event was also joined by Chilean Vice Minister of Agriculture Ignacia Fernández and José Guajardo, director of the Chilean Agricultural and Livestock Service, among other guests. With the joint efforts and witness of Iván Marambio, president of Frutas de Chile, as well as Chilean cherry producers and exporters, the Chilean Cherry Committee announced the official launch of the 2024/25 Chilean cherry season.

The Chilean Cherry Committee has also released a forecast indicating that the 2024/25 Chilean cherry season will reach record production levels, with the export volume expected to increase by 59% compared with last season. According to Claudia Soler, the committee’s executive director, “We will export 131,587,007 boxes of fresh cherries, each weighing 5 kilograms, totaling 657,935 tons, which will set a new record for Chilean cherry exports.”

Marambio added, “Today, cherries have become the star of Chile’s fruit exports globally and are a source of national pride. Over the past decade, the Chilean cherry industry has been steadily developing, currently accounting for 27% of Chile’s total fresh fruit exports.”

Soler went on to explain that this season’s forecast is based on data provided by members of the Chilean Cherry Committee, which was collected between Sept. 23 and Oct. 1. “Although there may be some changes during the production season,” she noted, “we expect the entire season to perform well, and the weather conditions are favorable.”

“The 2023/24 season was one of the most complex climatic seasons the industry has faced, resulting in an export volume that remained flat compared to the previous season. This season, overall agricultural climate conditions are good, so we anticipate that the cumulative export volume from both the previous and current seasons will see significant growth,” Soler said.

Fernández also weighed in, stating, “Public-private collaboration is the foundation of the cherry industry’s development and a core strength of Chilean agricultural exports. The cooperation between our service sector and cherry producers has become routine, such as in packaging, where the Agricultural and Livestock Service works alongside workers to ensure our products meet Chile’s unique standards of excellence and phytosanitary safety.”

The significant increase in Chilean cherry exports is primarily attributable to the expansion of planting areas. Soler explained that the peak in cherry planting occurred between 2019 and 2021, thus leading to expected substantial increases in production for the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons.

In terms of varieties, Chile is projected to export 38.3 million boxes of Santina cherries, 45.7 million boxes of Lapins and 24.3 million boxes of Regina, representing significant year-on-year increases of 121%, 29% and 53%, respectively, compared with last season. The export volume for other varieties is estimated to reach 23.2 million boxes.

Soler remarked, “China will continue to be our main export destination for cherries, while we will also diversify our exports to other interested markets both within and outside Asia.”

In this regard, Ambassador Niu stated that the cherry trade between China and Chile not only benefits Chilean farmers but also brings joy to Chinese consumers. He noted that the quality of the cherries is excellent, making them a preferred gift during the Chinese New Year. “I hope and believe that the upcoming Chilean cherry season will witness the prosperity of cherry trade between our two countries.”

It is worth highlighting that the Chilean Cherry Committee will this year invest over $9 million in marketing activities, an increase of 118% compared with last season. According to Soler, “We believe that this year’s robust promotional activities will encourage existing consumers to purchase more cherries and attract new consumers. This promotion will particularly focus on the markets in China, the United States, and South Korea. Logistics permitting, we will also start investing more resources in India and launch a new project in Brazil.”

Images: Frutas de Chile

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.