“Regarding cherry, why is it so important in China? As a Chinese I would like to say something, as we know, cherries in China are a very expensive luxury since we were children, because here we also have cherries but not in the winter season, usually in June, July, in the north of the country,” said Max Nie, one of the protagonists of the recent report released on Smartcherry TV, which focused on the Chinese New Year.
The audiovisual work showed in detail the traditions of the Chinese for this important holiday, which causes one of the largest human migration movements on the planet; in addition, through testimonies of Chileans who are currently or reside in China, it was possible to learn about the celebration up close and understand why Chilean cherries are the protagonists.
“We have always liked cherries because they are very tasty and nutritious, we especially like the shape and the color, because as you know, during New Year everyone likes the color red, it is placed on the door of the house as a decoration and also, during winter we don’t have so much fruit, only apples and pears, that kind of fruit, not so elegant, not expensive… but the Chilean cherry arrives and we really like it, one, because it is during the Chinese New Year; two, because of the color; three, because it is tasty and affordable; and also now, because of a technique in China that allows us to have some local cherry in the winter, but it is too expensive because here it grows mainly in June and July and if you grow it during winter, you need to keep it in a warm place and that entails a high electrical expense, so it is very expensive, but thanks to the Chilean cherry everything is more affordable”, added Max Nie.
Chileans in China
Nicolás Zamorano, Asia Manager of QCFruit, and Freddy Torres, an agricultural engineer and student of a master's degree in ecology in China, also shared important information about this holiday; from how the fruit markets operate, the prices of cherries before and after the Chinese New Year, to the typical food and traditions of the holiday.
In turn, the founder and director of iQonsulting, Isabel Quiroz, gave an accurate overview of the Chinese market, the main destination for our cherry, and stressed the need to activate marketing efforts after the Chinese New Year.
Claudia Soler, Executive Director of the Chilean Fruit Cherry Committee; Patricio Toro, General Manager of XSur; and analyst Gonzalo Salinas also participated in this report.
The event was sponsored by Quality Control & Digital Development; Conecta Smart; Greennetwork; and Greenhas.
