Chile's blueberry and cherry sectors are taking part in various workshops for Chinese importers and distributors, including two organised in the framework of Chile Week 2015, which was held last week. The first took place on 25 August in Shanghai and was presented by the secretary of agriculture, Claudio Ternicier; the Executive Director of the Blueberry Committee, Andrés Armstrong and the Marketing Coordinator of ASOEX, Ignacio Caballero, as well as Han Liu, representative of Asoex in China.
The second workshop was held on 28 August in Beijing, with the participation of the Chilean ambassador to China, Jorge Heine; the Chilean agricultural attaché in China, Gonzalo Matamala, and Andrés Armstrong, Executive Director of the Blueberry Committee, and Ignacio Caballero, Marketing Coordinator of ASOEX.
It is worth noting that a third workshop will be organised in Hong Kong on Thursday, 3 September.
During the workshops, importers will have the opportunity to learn more about the reality of each of these fruit industries, including the quality, safety and availability expected for the upcoming season, while tightening relations with Chilean exporters. They also seek to promote the development of marketing activities that will ensure the development of local consumption in the 2015-2016 campaign.
According to Andrés Armstrong, Executive Director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee, industry participation in these workshops is "a great opportunity to consolidate our country's position as a reliable supplier of blueberries, with strong potential for future growth. The promotional activities we are carrying out in the Chinese market have facilitated the diversification of our exports to this region of the world, where blueberry consumption is currently on the rise."
"The idea is to strengthen the promotion of cherries in China, as we project future growth in this country and we have to repeat all the good that was done last year. The promotional programmes in China will continue, boosting actions at online sales channels and promotions at the points of sale," said Cristian Tagle, president of the Cherry Committee at ASOEX.
It is worth noting that the cherry and blueberry committees also actively develop promotional activities in other markets, such as the U.S., Brazil and Europe.
Since the Chinese market opened to Chilean blueberries and cherries, both industries have managed to reach a prominent position in this market. During the 2013-2014 campaign, China emerged as the main destination for Chilean cherries, with a share close to 80% of all exports. In the case of blueberries, the Chinese market has grown by 45% compared to the previous season, which for Armstrong "reflects the work and effort that Chilean growers and exporters have put into it to deliver a safe and fresh quality product."