Dalian Cherries Hit ASEAN Markets Within 60 Hours of Harvest

After sending the first ever shipment of Dalian cherries to Malaysia in mid-March, Dalian Tianli Agricultural Development Co. Ltd. (大连天立农业开发有限公司) recently successfully exported another 1,000 kilograms of cherries worth $36,000 to Malaysia and Thailand. To date, the company has exported 2,300 kilograms of cherries to Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Produce Report recently talked to Liu Baoyang, the company’s general manager, to learn more about the stories behind these shipments.

The planted acreage of Dalian cherries has been growing rapidly in recent years. Following them receiving nationwide recognition on the domestic market, Dalian cherries have also been quietly gaining favor with overseas consumers because of their excellent taste.

According to Liu, Dalian cherries originate from a producing region situated at 39 degrees latitude, where unique climatic and geographical conditions in combination with advanced cultivation techniques and management technologies translate to quality fruit. To meet export standards, Dalian Tianli has cooperated with cherry farmers to implement improvements at various stages along the supply chain, such as fruit picking, quality control, post-harvest preservation, packaging and transportation. Staff from Dalian Changxing Island Customs also contributed to the exports by assisting with customs clearance, food safety and origin traceability.

Food preservation and long-distance transportation are of great importance to cherry exports. Liu stated that China Customs had taken a variety of measures to ensure that the freshness of the cherries was preserved to the highest degree possible. For example, a green channel was established to increase the customs clearance efficiency. Owing to these measures, the cherries grown in Dalian were able to reach the transit airport within 12 hours after harvesting. Within 60 hours, they had been received at their destinations, which represents a record speed for Chinese cherry exports.

As to the export prospects for Chinese cherries, Liu believes that there is still much room for further development, suggesting that Chinese cherry growers should keep up with the most advanced planting techniques to make their fruit tastier and more resilient to storage and transportation. Owing to the widespread utilization of greenhouse cultivation techniques, the start of the export season for Dalian cherries has been brought forward to March, with the supply window lasting through August. Consequently, Dalian cherries are able to enter the international market at a time when the supply season for cherries from the Southern Hemisphere is typically drawing to a close and that for cherries from the Northern Hemisphere has not yet started. Bridging this global supply gap is anticipated to allow growers and exporters of Dalian cherries to achieve greater profit margins.

At the end of the interview, Produce Report learned that Dalian Tianli would also bring this season’s Dalian cherries to Vietnam and Laos. In addition to Southeast Asian countries, the company has also set its eyes on new markets in other regions of the world.

Image: Dalian Tianli Agricultural Development Co. Ltd.

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