China: High demand promising for berry market

Driven by rising growth in its urban, middle-class population, expansion in China’s retail market is creating new opportunities for marketers of fresh berries. That was the trend noted at Global Berry Congress by David Smith of importer SVA Fruits, a joint venture that sells fruit to customers in China on behalf of Chilean exporters Hortifrut and San Clemente.

Painting a detailed picture of the Chinese berry market, Smith predicted further growth in demand and good opportunities particularly for Canada, which recently signed a protocol to send blueberries from British Columbia to China.

“This year has been an amazing year for blueberries in China, from a commercial standpoint,” he explained. “Although the 2014/15 season was not as we had hoped [in volume terms], we’re seeing great improvements in the market each year. The protocol [for Canadian blueberries] was signed last September and they saw 6,040 cases approved to be shipped, but only shipped 2,196. That’s about three and a half tonnes, so very little. We have great expectations for the coming season.”

Read more at Horti Alliance