If Peru manages to grow and export its own cherries, it could compete with Chile, which is the world's leading exporter.

Although there were initially difficulties in importing genetic material and cultivating cherry varieties in Peru, in the short term tests could begin to be carried out with different types from the United States and Italy. This has improved the outlook for national agro-exporting companies, which in turn are enthusiastically looking at the growing demand in some markets.

For some time now, the country has been working to add this product to its agricultural basket, a fruit that is especially coveted by the Asian market. In fact, the cherry is the “status” fruit in China.

The main buyer of cherries in the world is China, worth approximately US$ 3.000 billion in 2023, said Gabriel Amaro, president of the Association of Agricultural Producers of Peru (AGAP). Around 70% of this amount (US$ 2.200 billion) of the cherries that China bought were from Chile.

The level of consumption in China is significant. For example, Malena Ayala, a cherry expert at the Catholic University of Chile, said that during the Chinese New Year, which lasts about 15 days, each person can consume 10 cherries a day. China's population is around 1.410 billion people.

If Peru manages to grow and export its own cherries, it could compete with its southern neighbor, which is the world's leading exporter. “There is no Peruvian crop that exports US$3.000 billion. Blueberries, our main agricultural export product, reached US$1.880 billion in the 2023-2024 campaign. Cherries could easily surpass blueberries,” said Amaro.

Varieties from the United States

The pending path to exporting cherries to the Chinese market begins because we do not have a significant local production, on the scale of blueberries or grapes. Although it is known that the country has the potential to grow cherries due to its climatic conditions, the barriers to importing genetic material and growing our own varieties have been a problem for agro-exporting companies. However, the panorama is changing: in the short term, tests will begin to be carried out with different varieties of cherries obtained from the United States and Italy.

Amaro explained that they have asked the National Agrarian Health Service (Senasa) for access to genetic material from countries such as the United States, China and South Korea to carry out tests and develop new cherry varieties. “We are waiting for authorization to bring genetic material to Peru. For now, we have access to some varieties from Chile,” said the president of AGAP.

In turn, Orlando Dolores, general director of Senasa, reported that they are working to support agricultural exporters with the importation of new varieties so that research can be carried out, which will eventually determine which varieties will be planted.

“We will authorize, in the short term [before the end of the year], the import of [genetic material of] new varieties of cherry from the United States (…) Most likely, within a couple of years, we will be able to begin commercial production of cherries. In parallel, we will be working on opening markets for cherries,” said Dolores.

For his part, the head of AGAP indicated that the main Chilean varieties used in cherry cultivation in Peru are Regina (originally from the Czech Republic) and Lapins (originally from Canada).

In fact, it took the southern country 20 years to identify profitable varieties. Chile, although it is the world's leading exporter of cherry, is highly dependent on genetics from other countries. Today, this market exports the Santina and Lapins varieties, originating in Canada, and Regina, which is from the Czech Republic.

Ideal area for sowing

In order to plant a fruit in a cultivation area for the first time, studies and analyses must be carried out to identify whether the climatic conditions that the food needs to grow are met. Cherries depend greatly on the climate.

The cherry tree is a deciduous fruit tree that needs hours of cold to hibernate. In detail, it requires between 400 and 800 hours of cold, in an area where the temperature does not exceed 20 degrees. So, should the cherry tree be grown in areas where heat is not common? According to the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA), the highest mountain areas are suitable for cherry cultivation.

Amaro mentioned that both agro-exporting companies and INIA are working to identify the best areas for growing cherries and their varieties. “We have several partners, around 10 companies, that are trying out cherry cultivation and, little by little, more companies will join, depending on the results obtained from the agronomic behavior of the cherry tree in the planting site,” commented the president of AGAP. He confirmed that the main market they have in mind for exporting cherries is China due to its high demand.

According to Carlos Vargas, an engineer and fruit specialist at INIA, for five years, companies such as Camposol, Agrícola Andrea, Beta and others have been carrying out adaptation trials for cherry trees in the mountains: Huancayo, Ayacucho, Huaraz and Arequipa.

“In the mountains we have successful cases [of products with similar characteristics]. For example, the Hass avocado has adapted very well,” Vargas told Gestión. Although the cherry varieties grown in Peru have been identified in 15 to 20 hectares of authorized cherry cultivation, according to INIA—they are the ones produced in Chile, that is, the conventional ones, new ones have also appeared, which are in the quarantine stage in our country.

Senasa must evaluate whether these agricultural products do not contain any pathogens that could affect the country's plant health. After that, their genetic material would be released to be cultivated in fields or orchards.

“We know of nurseries in Peru that have introduced varieties of Italian origin. These are the sweet varieties: sweet gabriel, sweet lorenz and sweet aryana. The new cherry varieties are installed in the Tambo nursery in Piura and are undergoing quarantine. In a few months, they will be released. By the end of this year, one to two companies will have genetic material released by Senasa,” Vargas explained.

He also said that researchers and nurserymen in Peru are making agreements with International Fruit Genetics (IFG), a genetics company from the United States, to carry out trials of new protected cherry varieties that require less cold hours and ripen early.

In a second stage, when the new varieties with low cold requirements are released, studies will be carried out on their agronomic performance. “In the orchards of the different regions of the mountain range, it will be determined where the cherry tree has adapted best,” said the fruit specialist.

“The cherry plants of the new varieties that we are going to receive take between two and three years to flower. That is to say, it is probable that, in 2026, we could already harvest this fruit and thus become, in the following years, one of the main producers or exporters of cherries,” added Vargas from INIA.

Some of the cherry varieties from International Fruit Genetics (IFG) that stand out, and which are largely already in Peru, are: Ráfaga alegre, Resplandor alegre, Luna alegre, among others.

“In Chile, they are ceasing to produce their usual cherry varieties and are opting for new protected varieties with low chilling hours requirements,” Vargas said. He added that, in view of what is happening in the neighboring country, several companies in Peru have received authorization from these companies to access their genetic material.

And these new varieties, as the INIA fruit specialist points out, can adapt to a flatter surface and with less demand for low temperatures. “The habitat of the Peruvian cherry tree is between the coast and the mountains,” said Vargas.

In this regard, Dolores, director of Senasa, commented that genetic improvement has led to the existence of varieties that can be planted in warm winters, such as on the coast. “Like cherries, grapes require many hours of cold. However, there were new varieties that adapted to the climatic conditions of Piura. So, this is advancing through genetic improvement; it is vital to bring plants and adapt them to our conditions,” he commented.

“There are varieties that need to reach temperatures of three degrees to produce, but there are new ones, due to advances in genetic improvement, that can withstand temperatures of 14 degrees to produce. Therefore, it is possible to grow cherries on the coast,” he added.

Earnings around

In Chile, cherry harvesting begins from October 15th until the end of February (off-season harvest), which coincides with the Chinese New Year. “Once we can obtain our own variety of cherry, the goal is to harvest before Chile, that is, in September or early October, when the best prices for the fruit are obtained due to demand from China,” said Vargas, a fruit specialist at INIA.

The goal would be to harvest in the off-season to supply China's demand because, generally, in the months of October or November, there is no supply in the international market.

“On average, blueberries cost US$8 per kilo, while cherries cost US$12. However, in October and November, the price of cherries in China (prior to the Chinese New Year) reaches US$80 or US$120 per kilo,” said Vargas.

In addition, with the start of operations at the Chancay megaport, our agricultural products will be more competitive due to the improvement in logistics costs, in a context where agricultural exports go directly to Asia. Travel time would be reduced from 45 to 30 days.

Dolores explained that cherry cultivation in Peru has already begun with the stage of testing which of the varieties from other countries adapts best. The next step is to produce and manage its arrival in more markets. “These are the phases of any agricultural product from the first time it is grown until it is exported. This is what happened with the Hass avocado, the blueberry and will happen with the cherry,” said the director of Senasa.

Specifically regarding the access of cherries to the Chinese market, Dolores explained that, usually, the entry of an agricultural product, especially to the Asian market, takes on average four years. However, she indicated that this can be reduced to two if there is support from the Foreign Ministry and priority is given to it.

“By 2028, Peruvian cherries should be exported to the world, and mainly to China. With the installation of the Chancay megaport, we will have to prioritize that market,” he stressed.