With the stonefruit protocol signed this week, South Africa aims to secure access to the Chinese market also for cherries and blueberries. The Agriculture Minister has invited Beijing to inspect facilities and orchards to speed up the process.
South Africa takes a decisive step toward expanding its horticultural exports to Asia. Following the signing of the export protocol for South African stonefruit to China, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen officially invited Chinese plant health authorities to inspect packing facilities and cherry and blueberry orchards, with the goal of starting shipments as early as the next season.
“With these inspections we can remove all technical hurdles and begin exporting our blueberries and cherries to China as early as the next harvest,” Steenhuisen said during the signing ceremony with Sun Meijun, Minister of China’s General Administration of Customs.
The announcement comes at a crucial time: South Africa is currently at the peak of its blueberry harvest, while the cherry season will begin in November. Both end by January, leaving a narrow window to complete inspections and secure final export approval.
The newly signed protocol covers as many as five categories of stonefruit – apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and prunes – and represents an anomaly compared to the past, when authorisations were granted individually for each fruit. This simultaneous approach will allow South African exporters to start shipments this year, although an adjustment period is expected to adapt to the new procedures.
Minister Steenhuisen highlighted the economic potential of the agreement: “Access to the Chinese market for stonefruit could generate up to 400 million rand (around €20 million) in new revenue for the sector over the coming years. Chinese demand for peaches and plums is growing rapidly and has already surpassed South Africa’s entire production.”
The next two months will be crucial for the future of South Africa’s horticultural exports to China. In November, South Africa will host the G-20 summit, where concrete progress is expected on a new free trade agreement between China and African countries. A strategic framework that could further accelerate the opening of the Chinese market to new fruit categories, including cherries and blueberries.
Source text and image: www.fruitnet.com
22 Dec 2025
Chilean cherries are preparing for Chinese New Year 2026 by focusing on quality and planning. After delays and losses last season, the industry is making a comeback with large, sweet, firm cherries with vibrant color, aiming to regain trust in the Asian market.
30 May 2023
Considered extinct at the beginning of the 2000s, the Moretta cherry is now experiencing a period of renewed interest thanks to a small group of producers in Vignola (Modena) who are focusing on organoleptic qualities and links with the territory.
21 Aug 2026
A genomic study identifies 17 HSP70 and HSP90 genes in sweet cherry and explains how they respond to heat and salinity. The results highlight key genes, including PavHSP90-5, that could support breeding of cultivars with resilience to climatic and environmental stress.
21 Aug 2026
A study in southern Chile shows how mineral nutrition, especially the balance between nitrogen and phosphorus, may influence internal browning in Regina sweet cherries, postharvest quality and the fruit’s ability to withstand long storage periods for export markets.
