The director of the Cherry Committee explained that 87% of the shipped volume is destined for China. Prices, however, have shown no significant changes compared to the previous period.
The 2025–2026 cherry season is entering its final phase, and the industry forecast of 110 million exported boxes has already been met.
Confirmation was given to Diario Financiero by the Chilean Cherry Committee of Frutas de Chile, which is currently returning home after implementing a series of commercial strategies in China, the main market for Chilean cherries.
In a written interview, the organization’s executive director, Claudia Soler, confirmed that "we are already at 112 million boxes," equivalent to the export of 561,130 tons of cherries.
Regarding the existence of new projections, she stated that "given the progress of the season, total shipments will be close to the estimate (of 110 million boxes)."
According to Soler, 87% of the exported volume was shipped to the Asian giant (97.8 million boxes, equivalent to 489,016 tons), while the remainder went to markets such as the United States (4.3 million boxes), Taiwan (1.9 million boxes), South Korea (1.3 million boxes) and Brazil (1 million tons).
"To date, about 83% of the total fruit has already arrived in China," she added.
"Preliminarily, we can say it has been a challenging season due to the combination of two factors: a delayed Chinese New Year and a season that began about 10 days earlier due to weather conditions, which shifted the timing of the peak sales period," Soler said.
This year, the iconic Chinese New Year will be celebrated between February 17 and March 3, almost three weeks later than in 2025, creating a wider sales window but also the challenge of selling during a period without holidays linked to Chilean cherries.
The cherry industry is closely monitoring the outcome of the season, as the harvest season...
The 2024–2025 season was a campaign "to forget," as described by much of the sector.
Although that period marked a historic record in terms of volume – 125 million boxes – the oversupply exerted downward pressure on prices in China, causing fruit prices to fall by up to 50% and resulting in one of the worst economic performances in the sector’s history.
In five years, Chile went from 70 million boxes to 125 million.
With a wider window of opportunity in China, the Cherry Committee strengthened its commercial strategy and intensified product promotion across different segments, particularly those with higher purchasing power.
"We adapted the campaign to the timing of fruit arrivals in different markets and worked on a reputation plan aimed at strengthening trust," Soler said.
She explained that progress was made in educating consumers about the fruit’s nutritional qualities, as well as in outreach to government agencies and Asian media.
One unprecedented initiative was the Chilean Cherry Ice and Snow Festival held in the city of Changchun, where cherry ice sculptures symbolized a healthy lifestyle in an event characteristic of Chinese winter culture.
"The campaign brought together 20 retail chains and e-commerce platforms, generating greater coordination and synergies.
It began in December and will run until the end of January, as the second phase of the promotional strategy of the Cherry Committee in China," said the organization’s director.
Juan Pablo Subercaseaux, an agronomist specializing in cherries and professor at the Faculty of Agronomy and Natural Systems of the Catholic University, commented for this article that although the 112 million boxes produced represent about 13 million fewer than the previous season, "the price has remained very similar."
"The early start of the season and the delay of the Chinese New Year created a scenario of high supply and lower demand.
It is easier to sell chocolates on February 13 than on January 1, and the same applies here," he explained, illustrating the situation.
In his view, the volume produced by Chile – which represents 96% of Southern Hemisphere cherry exports – is "brutally high," and the price reflects this, indicating "an oversupply."
"At one point, it was believed that there were no limits and that there would always be someone in China willing to buy cherries, but it seems that beyond 100 million boxes, under current economic conditions and a series of external factors, the market is no longer stable," the academic analyzed.
He added that his main concern is that cherries are currently the most widespread fruit crop in Chile, with nearly 80,000 hectares, allowing production of up to 180 million boxes.
"Next season we should have 140 million boxes, and if we struggled to sell 110 million, what will happen when we add another 30 million?
Cherries have experienced a thirty-year boom, with uninterrupted growth, especially over the last 20 years, but they have reached their peak and, like all fruit crops, will need to adjust the number of hectares and the volume of kilos produced in order to return to being a profitable activity," he said, adding that currently most growers "are struggling with variable costs."
As for potential new markets, he pointed to greater dynamism in Southeast Asia, although still marginal compared to the overall market.
For her part, Soler emphasized that the U.S. market has grown by 47% this season.
Image source: Global Times
Patricia Marchetti
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