The cherry, Chile's third most important export product, is experiencing one of its most difficult moments. In the 2024 season, exports exceeded US$ 3 billion, with China as the main destination.

However, a sharp 50% drop in prices for this product in the Asian market has set off alarm bells in the country's agricultural sector. This is after the volume of cherries exported increased by 55%, but demand was much lower than expected due to the weakened Chinese economy.

'This is serious, because cherries account for almost half of all fresh fruit exports and employ 350.000 people. This scenario therefore strongly affects fruit growing. We are dealing with a species with a great future. We cannot give up because of a bad year, but we have to take certain measures,' stressed the president of the National Agricultural Society, Antonio Walker.

– What measures should be taken for the next season?

– We can turn around the situation this season, but we need certain measures. One is for the banks to support the sector, because we have had a year of low profitability compared to many very good ones. The other call is for the industry to unite; we have to have a seal of quality to improve the quality of the cherry. And the third is to continue investing in promotion in China, because it is a large market and there is a percentage of the population that still does not consume cherries. This promotion is essential, and in parallel it is necessary to diversify and open new markets.

– Will this decline affect export results in 2025?

– This season we are going to reach US$ 3 billion, which is a great goal. This is because the volume increased significantly, which compensated for the drop in value.

– Do you expect to see a decrease in the volume of cherries exported in the coming seasons?

– This is a developing story, everything depends on prices. I think exports will continue. But here it is also very important to expand the portfolio of species and varieties. Chile has a Mediterranean climate that allows it to export a wide variety of fruits. Farmers have to aim to have a wide portfolio of varieties so as not to depend on one species.

– Is there a dependency on cherries?

– The numbers speak for themselves. Half of all fresh fruit exports are cherries. Ricardo Ariztía de Castro always told us: put your eggs in different baskets. And that is true, and I call on farmers to diversify, that is always a guarantee. When you only plant one species, it is more risky.

Product diversification

– What other fruits are in a position to enhance them?

– The European hazelnut and walnut are back. Kiwis, table grapes and apples are back. There are some berries that are gaining strength.
I think we have enough hectares of cherries. There are 75.000 hectares, it is the most planted species in Chile, I think that is enough. Now let's do well with what we have planted, and I call for diversification.

– More than 90% of cherries ended up in China. Do you think that in addition to diversifying the fruit, we should also target other markets?

– A single market is always much more risky. Chile exports to more than 190 countries in the world. We believe that the first priority is India, the second are the Asia Pacific countries. North Africa and the Middle East must also be promoted, along with consolidating Latin America and the United States. This year we have a fair in Japan, we have to continue strengthening there. We have to expand the entire market portfolio, balance the volumes.

Other products

– In addition to fresh fruit, do you see other agricultural products that could grow?

– We have great potential in meat, milk and grains in international markets. We have the most sustainable production of meat and milk in the world, we must promote these products. On the one hand, we have a very thriving, very prosperous export agriculture, but on the other hand we have this non-export agriculture.

– What could be done to promote this?

– We have to do what we have done with fresh fruit, we have many comparative advantages, such as sustainability. We cannot continue demonizing sectors, as happened with the forestry sector. We see that many companies are targeting Brazil. This cannot happen to meat and milk. The number one factor for Chile to grow at 5% (of GDP) is the increase in exports. So, it is necessary to invest in large irrigation works, in port infrastructure, roads and airports. Logistics is key. We have to create all these enabling conditions so that we can produce, process and export.