Roxane Flores, Director of Human Capital Development and Regulatory Affairs at AFIPA, shares her visit with Cristián Osorio, a cherry grower from Coltauco, and together they discuss the main challenges that Chilean farmers face in bringing their cherries to international markets.
AFIPA Chile, Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes e Importadores de Productos Fitosanitarios Agrícolas A.G., is the group of companies that represents the crop science and protection industry.
Since 1991, AFIPA Chile has been supporting small and medium-sized farmers across the country, helping them implement Good Agricultural Practices for the responsible management of crops and pests and the triple washing, collection, and subsequent recycling of empty phytosanitary containers, with the aim of developing an increasingly productive and sustainable agriculture.
AFIPA Chile is a member of Croplife Latin America, which brings together 25 associations from 18 countries. Croplife Latin America is part of Croplife International, which encompasses the entire crop science sector operating on five continents and adheres to the FAO Codes of Conduct.
"At the end of the day, all we do is harvest light: without light, nothing can be grown and we have to maximise it," says cherry consultant Earnscy Weaver, who introduced a new cherry growing system in New Zealand.
South Africa is strengthening its cherry industry and aims to access the Chinese market by the 2026/27 season. With earlier harvest times than Chile, expanding planted area, and growing export potential, it could become a key supplier during weeks of limited global availability.
Strigolactones strengthen postharvest defenses in sweet cherries against Botrytis cinerea. Research on the Xianfeng cultivar shows that 0.1 μM reduces gray mold, lesion development and fungal biomass by activating phenylpropanoids, flavonoids and defense proteins.
Managing frost damage in cherry trees requires action from dormancy breaking through vegetative growth. Preventing ice nucleation, protecting cell membranes, and controlling Pseudomonas and bacterial canker can help preserve orchard health, resilience, and productivity.