Season’s First Air Shipments of Chilean Cherries Land in China

In recent years, the arrival of each season’s first batch of fresh Chilean cherries in China has been moving progressively earlier and it has now stabilized around mid-October. With the arrival of the first shipment for the 2025/26 season, Chile’s new cherry export season is now officially underway.

On Oct. 17, the first batch of fresh cherries from Chile’s Global AG and Global Talsa Fresh landed in Shanghai. According to market sources, the shipment comprised 493 cartons, mainly of the new AG2 variety sized at 2J–4J. AG2 is a proprietary variety developed internally by these companies and currently has no commercial name. Reports indicate that this batch bypassed the wholesale market and was sold directly through livestream e-commerce on Douyin.

In the early hours of the following day, an air shipment of fresh Chilean cherries from Garces Fruit also arrived. Produce Report spoke with Denise Fu, the company’s sales and marketing director for China, who noted that the 197 cartons (5-kilogram equivalent) in the shipment were all of the Brooks variety, ranging in size from J to 5J. She added that the cherries had glossy surfaces, green stems and excellent freshness. Fu also mentioned that the batch was delivered to the Shanghai Huizhan Fruit and Vegetable Market on Oct. 19 and that customers were highly satisfied with the quality of these early-season cherries.

According to industry insiders, this batch of cherries from Garces Fruit sold for 1,400–2,400 Chinese yuan ($197–337) per carton, depending on size — higher than the prices of the first arrivals last year — which is seen as a positive signal for the season. The cherries originated from Ovalle in Chile’s Coquimbo region, where this year’s cherry blossom period occurred about five days earlier than last year. The main varieties cultivated there include Brooks, Royal Dawn, Nimba and Santina. Ovalle’s cherry production this year is expected to reach around 2,000 metric tons, roughly double last year’s 1,000 metric tons.

Fu also told Produce Report that early frosts and low temperatures had affected production this year, resulting in an expected slight reduction in output of about 5–15%. She added that Garces Fruit had implemented even stricter sorting standards at the origin, which would further enhance the overall quality of their cherries. Fu noted that, given the later timing of the Chinese New Year and the reduced early-season yields caused by weather, prices this year are expected to be higher than last year’s. She expressed confidence that it would be a strong season for Chilean cherries.

Image: Garces Fruit

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.