The opening of the first boxes of cherries in the Shanghai market, China, generated a real frenzy, as every year. Hundreds of buyers gathered around the boxes from Ovalle, which were sent to the Asian giant by the exporter Garcés Fruit on Sunday, October 15.
The fruit was harvested on October 13 at the Tabalí orchard in the Coquimbo region and arrived at Chinese markets on Tuesday after an air trip from Santiago de Chile to Shanghai, with a stopover in New Zealand.
«It was a very special day for us, because we started the season both in Ovalle and at a national level very early, week 41, which is a milestone in terms of date, with the first fruit that goes to China, Brooks cherry variety; the feeling is that the work we have developed together with the team is bearing fruit, literally, but also with the conditions that we have always sought, which is a fruit that is of good caliber, that has a good color and that also has the firmness, crunchiness and sweetness that is so appreciated in Asian markets,» said Jorge Astudillo, Production Manager of Agroindustrial Valle Arriba.
Prices
Despite the earlier arrival of the first cherries of the season in China, compared to last year, prices for the first cherries remained the same as those of the 2022-23 campaign.
JL¥1100; JD¥1,200; SJL ¥1300 ;SJD ¥1400 ;PL ¥1500; PS ¥1600
The dollar equivalent for 5-kilo boxes of the Brooks variety fluctuated between US$$150 and US$$218, prices very similar to those of last season.
Start of the season in the Southern Hemisphere
The harvest of prime cherries in Ovalle began 11 days earlier than last year, marking the start of the season in Chile and the Southern Hemisphere. In 2022, however, the fruit harvest began on October 24 in Ovalle (week 43), while in Mendoza, Argentina, it did so on the 21st of the same month.
«Chile, let us remember that it is the main exporter of fruit to China and China has a very close relationship with Chile, our destination is practically 95-97 percent China.. Argentina is leaving this week, they also have their production, but they focus more on internal markets and have other destinations such as Europe, the Middle East, so we have been in some way distributing the market niches, but knowing that Chile has this relationship with China that has been in the works for a long time and that today is fundamental for us producers.", Jorge Astudillo concluded.
Producers in Mendoza are expected to begin the cherry harvest this week (42), becoming the second country in the Southern Hemisphere to officially start the season for this fruit species.
The arrival of the niceties in pictures
