If asked how a country drives economic development, Chile in South America would give a unique answer: "Eat!"
Indeed, Chile's economic growth is driven by the "gourmet economy," and they earn real foreign exchange. The Chinese market alone generates significant wealth for Chile every year.
What is the secret to Chile's wealth? It lies in a small red fruit.
This small fruit is the cherry.
From the price of cherries and their esteemed status in the fruit market, you can see their extraordinary identity.
Chilean cherries have won the hearts of Chinese consumers with their sweet taste and good reputation.
As early as 2016, Chile had already become China's largest fruit importer, earning significant profits.
Before 2016, Thailand was China’s largest fruit importer.
Geographically, Chile, far away in South America, doesn't seem to have an advantage over Thailand, which is in the same continent as China.
So, how did Chile stand out in the competitive international trade?
In short, Chile has the advantages of timing, location, and human factors.
Cherries belong to the Rosaceae family and are known as the "first branch of all fruits."
This fruit, with its halo of prestige, is also somewhat delicate.
Cherries thrive in warm and humid environments, cannot withstand cold, and are also sensitive to high temperatures and waterlogging.
Thus, cherries can only be grown in regions with average temperatures between 15-30°C and moderate rainfall.
In China, larger cherries compared to local varieties are called cherries, although they are slightly different, both belong to the Rosaceae family.
Why can Chile grow cherries on a large scale?
Although Chile is not large in area, its long and narrow territory spans multiple climate zones, giving it diverse climate types suitable for various agricultural practices.
For example, the world's driest desert is in Chile, and so is a rainforest with year-round rain.
Cherries are mainly grown in central Chile, between latitudes 30-40° south.
This region has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.
Such a climate, with different seasons of rain and heat, winter without cold waves, and abundant summer sunshine conducive to sugar accumulation, makes Chilean cherries particularly sweet.
Curicó, in central Chile, is a prime area for cherries.
The cherries grown here mainly include two varieties: "Santina" and "Bing."
Santina, a native Chilean variety, is deep red and quite sweet.
Chile has also introduced cherry varieties from Europe and the United States and localized their cultivation. Bing is one such variety widely planted in Chile due to its adaptability to local conditions.
Chinese people favor bright red, round fruits and prefer sweet, plump-looking fruits in their diet.
Chilean cherries thus firmly captured the Chinese palate and entered the Chinese market.
Chinese people have a tradition of "winter storage," but the earliest winter storage wasn't for health but due to a large population and scarce fresh fruits and vegetables in winter, necessitating early storage. Winter-stored cabbage was a concern for people, let alone cherries.
To improve the quality of life, the country also vigorously promotes fruit imports.
In comparison, Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, indeed started fruit trade with China earlier.
Southeast Asian countries, being at low latitudes, have longer fruit seasons, alleviating China's winter fruit shortage to some extent.
However, Southeast Asian countries are mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, with low fruit production from December to February, requiring supplementation from other regions for Chinese New Year fruit baskets.
Chile, however, meets this need of Chinese consumers.
From October to April is Chile's summer, and with China's vast market of 1.4 billion people, it was a perfect match.
Chileans are smart too. They export premium cherries that are highly favored by Chinese consumers.
Cherries have high unit prices and high added value.
By relying on high-quality cherries, Chile surpassed Thailand to become China’s largest fruit importer.
Additionally, Chile has developed early and late-maturing cherry varieties to fill gaps in the Chinese market.
Despite the long distance between Chile and China, transoceanic transportation did not lead to high freight costs. Instead, it saved costs in transportation.
China’s imported fruit market mainly relies on the northern regions. Land transportation from Southeast Asia and air transportation from Europe and America are both significant expenses.
Chile, with its narrow land, coastal plantations, and direct sea transport to northern Chinese ports, benefits from low-cost water transportation, achieving a win-win situation where producers profit, and consumers are satisfied.
The success of Chilean cherries in the Chinese market is inseparable from deep cooperation between the two countries.
As early as 1970, Chile established diplomatic relations with China, being the first South American country to do so.
Chile and China’s cooperation has achieved several "firsts" over the past fifty years.
In 2006, Chile became the first Latin American country to sign a free trade agreement with China.
In 2017, Chile was the first to sign an upgraded version of the free trade agreement with China.
In summary, Chile has shown great sincerity and goodwill in its diplomatic activities with China.
Before the Chinese New Year, Chile even invited Chinese journalists to the international port of San Antonio to showcase the entire export process of cherries.
This "transparent kitchen" style display completely dispelled Chinese consumers' doubts about Chilean cherries, further winning their favor. Chilean cherries can be seen in the imported fruit sections of major supermarkets.
Moreover, Chile has optimized its sales strategy according to the characteristics of the Chinese market.
They not only select large, plump, premium cherries for export to China but also embrace e-commerce.
The Chilean Cherry Committee conducts promotional activities on e-commerce platforms according to Chinese consumer habits.
Nowadays, Chinese consumers can see delicious Chilean cherries on major e-commerce platforms.
Buying Chilean cherries from thousands of miles away at home with a few clicks has become a standard for every Chinese family.
In the last cherry season, China imported nearly 400,000 tons of Chilean cherries, solidifying Chile's position as China's largest fruit importer.
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