One of the major concerns of the cherry industry is the quality of the fruit upon arrival at its destination; in order for this to be as optimal as possible, a series of procedures are carried out in orchards and packing plants, however this fruit species is one of the most delicate and difficult to preserve.
In this context, our team of correspondents in China spoke with the team at PTI, a company that provides a comprehensive quality control system.
- What were the main observations you were able to see during the 2022-23 campaign by variety?
Lapins: «Good acceptance, despite lighter harvest colours, good reception by customers was observed due to its good raw material, explained by short transit times and good firmness on arrival.»
Skeena: "Poorer arrival conditions cause customers to opt for other varieties."
Sweetheart: "High percentages of depressions and low sweetness are observed, making it less attractive to buyers."
Kordia: "Good appearance, good taste, good presentation, although greater sensitivity is observed compared to previous seasons."
Regina: «Regarding Regina, we believe that before the Chinese New Year (CNY) there was a raw material in optimal condition, a fairly good quality due to the short transit times, unlike after ANCH where the waiting times were longer and conditions such as temperature changes facilitated the occurrence of problems such as soft fruit and pulp disorders. We believe that those exporters with fruit that arrived just in time for the CNY and was not sold encountered these types of problems, in the same way we believe that for Regina it was a good season where, for the most part, the conditions were met to obtain good condition and good flavor.»
- How has the overall quality been this season?
«There is consistency in the different labels, generated by adequate segregations carried out at the source. This resulted in a product that is appreciated by the customer.«.
«Season with good raw material. Good quality fruit on arrival is appreciated by the customer, which translated into stable prices for fruit in good condition, and in turn, penalizing with lower prices the fruit in poor condition on arrival.»
- What other aspects of the recent cherry season deserve to be highlighted?
«The opening of new ports eases the congestion of fruit arriving to different markets. The end of COVID restrictions allowed for greater movement of fruit, pre and post Chinese New Year, maintaining a constant demand. At the end of the season, the condition decreased, which led to a drop in prices.»
«In general, a season with greater complications was expected due to: existing COVID restrictions, early Chinese New Year and slow container openings. However, the scenario found presented: lifting of measures against COVID, expedited movement of fruit, large number of container openings in the main markets. Greater efficiency and fluidity in the processes is seen, achieving shorter times between harvest and dispatch at origin», concluded from PTI.
