Since a growing number of countries have been allowed to export blueberries to China, this fruit is available to Chinese consumers throughout the year.

Canadian blueberries, which gained access to the China market in June 2015 and made their market debut in August 2015, have been trying to expand their market share in China.

Every year a considerable quantity of fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries and dried blueberries from Canada are brought to China, although there has not yet been any large-scale marketing campaign for these products in China.

Almost 100% of the Canadian tall bush blueberries available on the Chinese market come from British Columbia, which is the third largest province in the country with an area roughly four times the size of the UK. Additionally, the province is one of the top three cranberry and lingonberry producing regions in the world. About two-thirds of British Columbia's land area is forested, along with clear water, fresh air, fertile soil, and cool weather, providing ideal growing conditions for tall blueberries.

To get a first-hand look at blueberry production in British Columbia, Produce Report contacted Clara Moran, marketing and public relations coordinator for the British Columbia Blueberry Council.

According to Moran, the history of tall blueberry cultivation in British Columbia dates back almost 100 years. Currently, the province has a planted area of ​​around 11.000 hectares with an estimated harvest of 63.500 metric tons by 2021. In addition, all blueberries produced in the province are certified in food safety.

There is also a rich variety of blueberry cultivars in British Columbia, hitting the market one after another during a period typically July through September. The main cultivars there include Earliblue, Northland, and Chandler, while cultivars like Duke, Draper, and Calypso are especially favored by Asian consumers. Meanwhile, Canada has been developing new varieties of blueberries that have better flavor and superior quality on the one hand and are more resistant to cold weather, plant diseases and insect pests on the other hand.

To learn about the performance of Canadian blueberries in the Chinese market, Produce Report also contacted Max Shao, a major Canadian blueberry exporter and distributor. According to Shao, British Columbia blueberries are known for their large size, sweet taste, strong fragrance, juicy flesh, and rich anthocyanin content. Local blueberry growers take special care in growing blueberries, including using bees for pollination and performing very little manual intervention during the growing process.

However, limited capacity for post-harvest processing has somewhat hampered the ability of British Columbia blueberries to reach foreign markets. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shao's company typically exported 10-15 pallets of Canadian blueberries to China each week. Most of these blueberries were previously reserved by customers who had previously lived in Canada, with only a small portion destined for the wholesale markets.

Because the quality of blueberries is highly dependent on cold chain logistics, many companies have suspended their blueberry imports due to the impact of the current COVID-19 epidemic on global supply chains. However, Shao suggests that Canadian blueberries may still be an ideal choice for high-end Chinese consumers who are always looking for the highest quality.

Images: British Columbia Blueberry Council.