Cherries and the South-East Asian market, China is not the only protagonist

20 Dec 2023
3546

Danny Guo, general manager of trade at JWM Asia, discusses the key market trends and opportunities for cherries in South-East Asia.

Can you give us an overview of JWM Asia’s business in cherries outlining your key supply origins and markets?

JWM Asia primarily sources cherries from Chile, New Zealand, Australia and the US. Cherries are one of our group’s core items, and our biggest volume comes from Chile, where we have teams on the ground and longstanding relations with our supply partners. We procure together with Joy Wing Mau Group, leveraging their buying capabilities in the Chinese market. This strategy allows us to maximise our procurement capability, which in turn enables us to add value to our supply partners by providing a diversified portfolio to South-East Asian markets.

JWM Asia’s main markets for cherries include Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, and Malaysia. We have established our multi-channel Asian distribution network over 20 years, covering the full scope of market segments, including retail, wholesale, and other modern channels.

We work closely with retailers such as Central Food Retail (Thailand), NTUC FairPrice and ParknShop to promote cherries to consumers, especially during the festive period. As a pioneer of cherry sales in Asia, our objective is to further develop distribution and promote cherries to the end consumer.

Overall, how do you see the cherry trade developing in South-East Asia? What are the major market trends?

Statistically, we can see that cherries are one of the growing categories in terms of consumption in South-East Asia. Cherries are the number one product to excite both distributors and consumers. In recent years, most markets have had their ups and downs, however, cherries are usually among the products least affected.

A prevailing trend in South-East Asian markets is their slow post-Covid-19 economic recovery. This, combined with unfavourable exchange rates for trading currencies such as the US dollar, has significantly impacted imports and exports. Overall, demand across South-East Asia has weakened, including a decline in the domestic retail segments in key markets. Therefore, it’s important for marketers to understand that price point is crucial in the current economic landscape.

Furthermore, as the global logistics situation recovers, ocean and airfreight rates are coming down, and transit times are becoming more stable. Joy Wing Mau Group has put additional efforts into this area to try to control supply chain variables as much as possible. We are working directly with shipping and airline companies to ensure the best transshipment options with a preagreed maximum transit time.

Danny Guo, general manager of trade at JWM Asia.


Read the full article: Asiafruit

Image: Asiafruit


Cherry Times - All rights reserved

What to read next

High-density cherry trees: Serbian research identifies the best rootstock–cultivar combinations

Planting systems

19 Feb 2026

A 13-year study in Čačak, Serbia, on a high-density sweet cherry orchard (1,250 trees/ha) comparing Mazzard and Colt rootstocks. Growth, yield, fruit quality and profitability were assessed on heavy, acidic soils without irrigation, highlighting long-term differences.

Sweet cherries: new genes discovered in China reveal color and stress secrets

Breeding

04 Sep 2025

A Chinese study on the sweet cherry Tieton genome reveals the key role of unique genes and flavonoids in plant development, stress resistance, and evolution. The analysis identified 85 specialized metabolites and 1100 genes crucial for fruit quality and adaptation.

In evidenza

Monitoring Cerambyx dux: seismic sensors for early detection in cherry orchards

Crop protection

06 Nov 2026

A study in three Israeli cherry orchards tests seismic sensors to detect Cerambyx dux larvae, track pest phenology and map infestations. Signals may reveal activity before visible symptoms and help target inspections, but further validation is needed.

GA₃ treatments improve the firmness of cherries but delay their ripening

Quality

06 Nov 2026

In Tasmania, trials by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture show GA₃ increases Lapins cherry firmness by about 20%. Application rate and timing affect fruit size and maturity as researchers examine how to balance quality, harvest timing and late-season markets locally.

Tag Popolari