As a "star" in the fruit industry, during the Spring Festival, the consumption of cherries continues to increase, and the price of cherries attracts attention. It looks like a ruby, refreshing and delicious, with moderate sweetness and sourness.
During the cherry consumption season, a large number of cherries appeared in fruit shops and e-commerce platforms. 2J, 3J, 4J…… … They come in different sizes and colors, and have various packages, but they have one thing in common, that is, they are basically produced in Chile.
【1】
At present, Chilean cherries can be said to be the "most valuable" fruit in fruit shops. Because its 40-day sales period coincides with the Spring Festival in China, it has become a high-end gift for people to visit relatives and friends during the festival.
According to Red Star News, in mid-January, the price of a box of 5 kilograms of cherries was 400 yuan, and "not a penny less". But at the end of January, more Chilean cherries arrived in China by sea, and the price of 5 kilograms of cherries has been reduced to 320 yuan. With the price reduction, "Cherry Freedom" has also been searched.
Xiaobai, who lives in Santiago, Chile, told reporters that cherries are the cheapest fruit in the local area, and ordinary people can afford it. Although Chile is a big fruit exporter, there are not many varieties of fruits, with one kilogram of bananas in 5 yuan and one kilogram of cherries in 5.7 yuan, which is close to the price of bananas. "At the end of November, cherries have just been listed in Chile, and the price is not cheap, 10 yuan/kg."
After Jia Xi came to Chile, he found that the freedom of cherries could be realized here, but the price of restaurants was quite high. "The main reason in Chile is that labor is too expensive. The price of buying vegetables and selling meat in supermarkets is not outrageous, and it is very expensive to go out for a meal and get a haircut." He told reporters that eating fried rice and a dish in a restaurant costs 7,000 Chilean pesos (about RMB 52 yuan), and the price of a barbecue for three people is 100,000 Chilean pesos.
In China market, the main variety of Chilean cherries is Rubins. Cherries are generally graded by 2J, 3J, etc. The bigger the number, the bigger the size and the more expensive the price. According to reports, fruit merchants in Kunming, Yunnan, said that it is difficult for consumers to distinguish different grades of cherries, and some wholesalers will re-brand them as inferior products. Some cherries sold very cheaply have many small rotten fruits, so consumers should buy them carefully.
【2】
Every November to the next two years is the season for picking Chilean cherries. These "rubies" were picked, sorted and packaged, crossed the equator and transported to China on the other side of the ocean.
China imports cherries from Chile, New Zealand and Australia. Among them, the export share of Chilean cherries, China accounted for as much as 90% in the world, far exceeding other countries.
The huge growth potential of China market has given confidence to Chilean cherries industry, and many farmers have expanded their planting area. In 2023, the planting area of Chilean cherries reached a record 67,570 hectares. Because the profit of cherries is higher than that of apples, many fruit farmers cut down apple trees and replant cherries. Therefore, the planting area of Chilean cherries has increased nearly 18 times in the past 22 years.
According to the data of Frutas de Chile, the export volume of Chilean cherries to China has increased by about 29% annually in the past seven years. In the 2023/24 season, as of the fourth week of this year, a total of 399,000 tons of cherries departed from Chile and went to all parts of the world, a decrease of 3.8% compared with 415,000 tons in the same period of the previous season. However, China’s position in Chile’s cherry export market is stronger, with 92% of cherries sent to China.
When Chilean cherries entered the China market in 2010, the import volume was only 500,000 US dollars. In 2019, the import volume of China exceeded 1 billion US dollars, a 200-fold increase in ten years. From the import data, in 2018, Chilean cherries surpassed American cherries. In that year, the total import volume of cherries in China reached 186,000 tons, of which 163,000 tons came from Chile, accounting for nearly 90%.
According to the data of China Customs, on December 28th, 2023, the first COSCO Shipping "Cherry Express" this winter loaded 216 refrigerated containers, totaling nearly 4,536 tons of Chilean cherries, and arrived at Shanghai Yangshan Port.
According to People’s Daily, on January 27th, a cargo ship carrying 19,000 tons of Chilean cherries docked at Guangzhou Nansha Port, which became the port with the largest import volume of cherries in China during the 2022 -2023 season. In the mainland market of China, one of every two Chilean cherries is imported from Nansha Port. Throughout the 2023-2024 season, about 100,000 tons of cherries were imported from this.
After a large number of fruits come from across the ocean, the port staff will inspect them to prevent the risk of plant epidemic and food safety hazards. Three weeks before the Spring Festival is the peak season for the sales of imported cherries. With the stability of the quality in Chile, the arrival of cherries has increased, and the price has also dropped.
According to the report of national business daily, when cherries first came into the market, they were expensive because of the small quantity and high air transportation cost. With the increase of output, a large number of cherries arrived in China by sea, the logistics and insurance costs decreased, and the price of cherries continued to decline. Every February, imported cherries enter the stage of processing the tail goods, and fruit merchants will sell them at a reduced price as soon as possible to avoid not selling them. From December of each year to February of the following year, the price reduction of cherries presents a periodic law.
The Chilean Fruit Exporters’ Association said, "One of our medium-term strategies in China is to increase the frequency and quantity of cherries purchased by everyone on various occasions every season. Now the promotion of Chilean cherries pays more attention to real life scenes such as three meals a day, casual snacks and holiday gifts, hoping to establish more emotional links with consumers. "
Under this strategy, "high-end fruit" cherries are entering the lives of consumers in China.
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