KUNMING, China — With increasing demand, the expansion of sea, land, and air transportation, and the construction of new and more efficient planting bases, not to mention their unique flavor and high nutritional value, Chinese blueberries are becoming a new favorite in the market both at home and abroad.

According to industry statistics, in recent years China has ranked first worldwide in both plantation area and production.

The area under cultivation for blueberries will exceed 1,1 million mu (one hectare equals 15 mu) in 2024, with a production of around 500.000 tons.

In China, blueberries are grown in several provinces, including Guizhou, Sichuan, Anhui, Shandong, Liaoning, and Yunnan.

The latter three primarily offer fresh blueberries, while others are dedicated to both planting and processing.

Yunnan Province, as one of the country's main fruit-producing areas, accounts for around 30 percent of the total.

In spring, blueberries are beginning to bloom in many production areas, while those in Mengzi, Mile, and other parts of Yunnan have already reached harvest season.

In the morning, farmers pick the ripe blueberries, and in the afternoon, the fruits are sifted, pre-cooled, and packaged so that just 24 hours later they can appear on the fresh produce shelves in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and other cities.

Blueberries, native to North America, have found a second home in China. Yunnan boasts 46 varieties of wild blueberries, representing more than half of the country's total.

Furthermore, it stands out for its off-season production, supplying the market from November to May. Taking advantage of the large temperature difference between day and night, the long hours of sunlight, high exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and the quality of the soil, Yunnan has become one of the most suitable areas for the production of the fruit worldwide, according to He Jiawei, director of the Alpine Economic Plant Research Institute of the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Mengzi Town in Honghe Hani-Yi Autonomous Prefecture focuses on protected blueberry production, with a cultivation area of ​​35.000 mu and a total output value of over 3.000 billion yuan (about 415 million U.S. dollars), helping more than 20.000 local households increase their income.

Local residents have benefited from blueberry cultivation and are willing to invest more to expand the sector.

Authorities and businesses are improving infrastructure and organizing book clubs and training courses on blueberry planting to meet growers' demands for new technologies.

In recent years, an increasing number of companies from both domestic and international companies have decided to manage blueberry farms in Honghe. Marcelo Vergaray, a young Peruvian, achieved his professional development in Honghe through a project with Hortifrut, a Chilean company dedicated to blueberry production.

"I'm involved in every stage, from blueberry cultivation to sales," Vergaray said. Figures from the Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs show that by 2024, the area under blueberry plantation will reach 249.000 mu, with a total production of 171.000 tons and a preliminary estimated value of about 17.000 billion yuan.

Of the total, 169.000 mu correspond to protected agriculture, with a production of 144.000 tons.

Those working in the sector believe that, given the highly competitive market, it is necessary to create national brands.

Within the framework of these efforts is the launch of "Honghe Blueberries" as the regional public brand in 2025, with the aim of enhancing its international competitiveness.

Chinese blueberries are gradually gaining ground in global markets. According to Chen Canling, sales manager of Honghe Anmei Agricultural Technology Corporation, his company's blueberries successfully entered the Malaysian market this year.

To explore overseas markets, the company has implemented a refined management model and optimized all aspects of the industrial chain, from the harvesting process to compliance with international standards in packaging design and export information management, all in order to meet its goal of exporting 300 tons of blueberries this year.

Other companies are reporting similar success stories. "Every four days, we fly two tons of blueberries to Dubai, and in just 40 hours, consumers in that city can taste blueberries from Chengjiang," said Wang Rui, chairman of the Fengji Agricultural Development Corporation, which is based at the Fengji Fruit Standardized Selection Center in Chengjiang, a city in Yunnan province.

It epitomizes the entry of Chinese blueberries onto the international stage. In just five years, since the first export to Russia in 2020, Chinese blueberries have won over the palates of consumers in more than ten countries and regions around the world, demonstrating brilliant potential for international marketing, said Li Yadong, a professor at Jilin Agricultural University and honorary president of the small berry branch of the Chinese Horticultural Society.