The latest route opened from Chile to China is to the port of Tianjin in northern China. Chilean cherries continue their success in the Chinese market. According to data released at the last Cherry Conference held in Jiaxing, China, last season 97.8% of the cherries imported into the country were Chilean.
Indeed, Chile is a country that, although relatively young from the point of view of sweet cherry cultivation, is growing strongly. The vast majority of the quantities of cherries produced are destined for export.
During the 2022-2023 season, 425,398t of cherries were exported out of a production of 471,000t (USDA data). Also during the Cherry Conference in Jiaxing, the Chilean exporters' association, Frutas de Chile, revealed that Chile currently has an area of 61,559 hectares of cherry orchards, but only 65% of these are in production.
Just over 10 years ago, in 2012, there were around 13,000 ha of cherry orchards. In the coming years, approximately 21,000 ha will come into production and new varieties will enter the market. The year-on-year growth rates of sweet cherry production in Chile are always very high. The latest figure reported by the USDA is +20.3%, between the '22/'23 vintage and the previous one.
Just to talk about the new varieties debuting in Chile, we contacted Lorena Pinto, product manager of ANA Chile®, a variety manager and editor who imports, evaluates and manages new fruit varieties in the South American country. Pinto recently presented their latest evaluations during the seventh edition of Cherry Expo.
Image 1: Cherry Expo - Chile.
The '23-'24 cherry season in Chile is drawing to a close. The year was a very unusual one: 'Adverse weather events mainly affected the first part of the season,' Lorena Pinto told Cherry Times. 'The harvest was delayed by about 10 to 15 days for the early varieties without covers or nets. Usually in the cherry-growing areas of Chile, we have a hot spring with no rain.
In addition, in previous years, sufficient cold spells were usually accumulated. This year, however, there has been a decrease in cold hours of between 20% and 30% in the main growing areas, the Maule and O'Higgins plants. Hence the delay in harvesting the early varieties. There was less product and less uniformity in ripening.
Image 2: Lorena Pinto in Cherry Expo.
The spring then saw heavy rains, so much so that in some areas the plantations were flooded. Then it was a less hot spring than usual. We must also consider El Niño, which made the summer of 2024 one of the hottest ever recorded in Chile. We had therefore predicted a drop in exports of 20-30%; instead, we recovered.
The impact of the new plantations, with medium and late varieties, resulted in about 410,000 tonnes, which is in line with the previous season'.
According to data from iQonsulting, a Chilean market analysis company (data 2022/2023), the main varieties exported from Chile are Lapins and Santina, followed by Regina and Bing. The South American country is obviously looking to the Chinese market and the tastes of Chinese consumers to further increase exports:
"Generally speaking, when looking for new cherry varieties, we look at certain characteristics," Lorena Pinto of ANA Chile continued. These include high productivity and the fact that they are self-fertile. Good branching capacity, a good degree of hardness, over 80 durofel, high brix degree, size over 30 mm, a dark, red and uniform colour, tolerance to cracking, a green stem and good length as well as good fruit attachment'.
The fact that Chilean cherries have to travel a long way leads to further considerations: 'There are some characteristics that have to be evaluated. For example,' continued Lorena Pinto, 'high firmness and soluble solids, a firm fruit has more tolerance to mechanical damage.
"A good stem attachment is also needed. The diameter of the fruit is very important; the Chinese consumer has already shown that he appreciates large, dark-coloured cherries. In addition to size, importance is given to the fact that the varieties, after 30 days in the cold (in MAP bag), have a good texture and as few defects as possible'.
Among the varieties that ANA Chile® manages, Sweet Aryana is experiencing some success. According to the latest figures from the Chilean company, 73t were exported in 2023/'24, for next season they expect to reach 1000t.
An interesting increase in exports is also expected from Areko, 252t exported this season, in 2024/'25, barring surprises, 500t should be exported. "Areko is really attracting the attention of the Chinese consumer. I believe that the areas in Chile will increase.
Among other things, it does not have a great need for cold weather and this is an advantage, as is the fact that production is stable. The harvest is positioned between the 47th and 48th week, coinciding with Santina'. Nimba is the earliest variety at the moment, the one that kicks off the season; in 2024/'25, 250t should be exported.
At the moment, ANA Chile® is evaluating some varieties that have not yet reached the commercial stage: 'We are about to launch three varieties: Nipama, Sweet Saretta and Sweet Stephany should arrive on the market immediately after the next season, at the beginning of 2025. The performance during our tests is very good.
Starting with Sweet Saretta (PA5UNIBO), a variety that is harvested in Chile, in the central area of the country, a few days before Santina, we can say that it is distinguished by its size, around 32 mm. We observed a very good tolerance to rain during the harvest, which is uniform and a very good flavour (20° brix).
Image 3: Sweet Saretta.
It also does not need as many hours of cold storage as another variety of the Sweet series (UniBo), Sweet Stephany (PA7UNIBO). The first harvest we observed was in 2022, which is earlier in Chile than could be expected. It is harvested in the Santina period. It reaches very good sizes (30-32), is self-fertile, very productive, brix degrees that can even reach 20. A very promising variety'.
Among the new varieties still in the testing phase is Nipama. Once Nipama reaches the commercial stage, it will become the first variety for ANA Chile®. Nipama will position itself three to five days before Nimba, which is harvested between weeks 44 and 45.
Image 4: Nipama - 30 day storage, 87 Durofel.
They were planted in 2019 and went into production in 2022. "Nipama reaches high size (30-32 mm), has good firmness (75-80 durofel) and good brix (18-20 on average). Among other things, it is a cherry that comes into production early and has shown that it does not need to accumulate a large number of cold hours'.
"It has performed well in the north and centre of Chile and could be a good possibility for fruit growers in that area to replace table grapes, which have not been doing well lately.
Barbara Righini
Images: ANA Chile®
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