Chilean Cherry Seminar: 2025/26 Export Projection Revised Downward, Preview of Chilean Cherry Ice and Snow Festival

December 25, 2025

Produce Report

On the afternoon of Dec. 23, the Chilean Cherry Committee of Frutas de Chile held its first online seminar for the 2025/26 Chilean cherry season, sharing the latest production updates, key marketing campaign progress and insights into Chilean cherry nutrition with industry professionals from across China.

Dr. Charif Christian Carvajal, marketing director for Asia and Europe at Frutas de Chile, began by presenting crucial updates for the current season: “Mainly due to adverse weather conditions toward the end of spring, the Cherry Committee’s export volume projection for this cherry season has been revised downward by 15% compared to the October estimate to approximately 110 million boxes (5 kilograms per box), equivalent to about 550,000 metric tons (29,891 containers). Furthermore, the cherry harvest has advanced earlier by 7–10 days compared to last season, leading to a more concentrated release of shipments within a shorter timeframe, particularly in the Maule and O’Higgins regions, with the Lapins and Regina varieties being most affected.”

“Despite this, the quality and consistency of the fruit reaching the markets so far has remained high,” Carvajal emphasized. “This result validates the work done by the growers and exporters throughout processes including orchard management, harvest and sorting, among others.”

Carvajal further explained that as of week 50, the Santina variety had constituted 58% of Chilean cherry exports for the 2025/26 season, followed by Lapins at 30%. A significant 90.1% of total Chilean cherry exports were destined for the Far East market, largely consistent with historical trends. Importantly, week 50 exports were significantly lower than the same period last season, providing further evidence that the timing of the 2025/26 season is even earlier than in 2024/25, with an earlier anticipated peak in arrivals.

Given the concentrated arrivals this season and the later timing of Chinese New Year, Frutas de Chile has launched a series of key marketing activities to support nationwide cherry sales. A Frutas de Chile representative stated, “Recognizing the significant overlap between the ice and snow activity enthusiast demographic and the core cherry consumer base, this season the association, in collaboration with various industry partners, is dedicated to establishing the Chilean Cherry Ice and Snow Festival as a comprehensive, cross-channel marketing event for the entire industry. The concept is not meant to be limited to winter sports participants. Instead, it offers an immersive experience blending Chinese New Year traditions, modern lifestyle aesthetics and healthy living concepts, turning Chilean cherries into a sweet bridge linking festivity, culture and everyday life.”

Frutas de Chile indicated that relevant activities have been rolling out from mid-December and will continue through the end of January, covering key retail channels in national and regional markets across the country. The cities of Changchun and Jilin, as the main campaign launch cities, will invite government officials, celebrity guests, online influencers and major domestic media to create a series of trending social media topics, boosting the popularity of cherries. Major domestic e-commerce platforms will also conduct live-streaming sales events centered around the Chilean Cherry Ice and Snow Festival, converting online traffic into actual purchases.

Simultaneously, to express gratitude to retail partners for their support of Chilean cherries, Frutas de Chile officially launched the Chilean Cherry Annual Awards this year. The award ceremony will be held in March 2026, featuring eight major award categories to recognize outstanding industry partners.

This year, Frutas de Chile collaborated with the CCTV Documentary Channel to produce a cherry documentary titled “Sweet Miracle.” The documentary was officially released on Dec. 3 and, within just 12 days, became the most-watched fruit-themed documentary of the year on the channel, achieving approximately 8.26 million overall views. The full video can be viewed on the CCTV Documentary (“央视纪录”) accounts on platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu and Douyin.

Subsequently, associate professor Qu Chunbo from the School of Health and Public Health at Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences shared knowledge related to cherry nutrition. Qu stated, “According to data from domestic testing institutions, Chilean cherries are a high-potassium food, with an average potassium content of 335 milligrams per 420 kilojoules. They also contain magnesium, averaging 16 milligrams per 420 kilojoules, and anthocyanins. Chilean cherries offer a rich variety of cultivars, with early-, mid-, and late-season varieties providing a supply span of over four months, meeting consumer demand for different flavors and textures. The ‘Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents’ (2022 edition) encourage increased fruit consumption daily, recommending a daily fresh fruit intake of 200–350 grams for adults. However, data shows that in 2018, the average daily fruit intake for adults was only about 50 grams, far below the recommended minimum of 200 grams. Cherries stand out for their excellent nutritional profile, making them a great choice for fruit consumption in winter.”

Frutas de Chile has prepared a rich repository of cherry-related materials for traders and retailers, including the latest cherry images, videos, the CCTV documentary, nutritional resources related to Chilean cherries and staff training materials for retailers. These resources can be downloaded free of charge from Baidu (password: r5F6) or WeTransfer (here and here).