Prices fall as Chilean cherry exports surge

Record shipments of Chilean cherries to China are putting pressure on the market in the run-up to the Chinese New Year, Chinese media reported.

More than 1,000 containers packed with 20,000 tons of cherry imports for the holiday from Chile arrived at Nansha Port in Guangzhou last Saturday, State broadcaster CCTV reported. This marked the largest single shipment of cherries imported to the port since the start of the 2024/25 harvest season.

Comprising 30% of the total cherry exports across China, the imports make Nansha the country’s largest entry port of the popular fruit for a third year in a row.

A merchant surnamed Gu at a local fresh produce market in Guangzhou revealed the price of super jumbo cherries (with diameters between 28-30 mm) has been lowered to around 36 yuan (US$4.9) per kilogram, while giant cherries (with diameters between 30-32 mm) is about 28 yuan per kilogram.

As of the last week of December 2024, Chilean cherry exports totaled 96 million cartons, almost double the 50 million cartons shipped in the same period of 2023. Of these, more than 88 million cartons were destined for China.

To ensure freshness of the cherries, Chilean farmers usually harvest the fruit when they are 70% ripe, as at this stage, cherries release less ethylene, which delays the aging process. The picked cherries are not immediately boxed; instead, they undergo “cold shock” treatment, where fresh cherries are rapidly immersed in ice water to cool them down.

Next, the cherries are washed and sprayed with a layer of food-grade preservatives. Within 18 hours of harvesting, the cherries are sent to cold storage and placed into specialized refrigerated containers. During transportation, cherries are sealed with reduced oxygen to trigger a state of dormancy where metabolism decreases, leading to a longer shelf life.

Chile has witnessed a staggering increase in cherry production over the past five years. At the outset of the current season, exports were projected to hit 657,935 tons, a rise of 59% on last season.