The President and Vice President of Fedefruta, Jorge Valenzuela and Carolina Dosal, said that participating in Chile Week in China had been an excellent opportunity to learn about the impressive economic dynamics in which the Chilean fruit moves in the Asian giant.
The representatives of Fedefruta were part of the public-private delegation led by former President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero, Ministers Antonio Walker and Juan Andres Fontaine, and many other authorities that were received by the Chilean ambassador to China and former helmsman of Fedefruta, Luis Schmidt Montes.
The guild leaders joined this delegation, not only to support the official efforts of the authorities regarding the Chilean Farm in China, a project executed by Fedefruta since the late nineties and reactivated in the framework of this event, and the execution of its equivalent in Chilean territory, but also due to the entry of pears into that country as of 2019 and the opening protocols for the export of citrus, among other issues.
Valenzuela and Dosal also visited Chinese markets where the Chilean fruit arrives and is distributed at the peak of the season.
"We in Fedefruta, made it a priority to visit the Chinese markets to see how our fruit was arriving here," Valenzuela said. "The dynamic is incredible, the amount of people that move around the fruit is impressive. The Chilean fruit is the perfect product for this market nowadays, considering the level of growth and modernity that China is experiencing and its middle class," he concluded.
After touring the outdoor markets of Shanghai and Nanjing, where they saw how the cities were preparing for the arrival of imported fruit from Chile, Valenzuela said that "everyone is waiting for the Chilean cherry. Our cherry has a made a name in the Chinese market. It is recognized as a high quality product, for its taste and health."
The president of Fedefruta was asked in the markets for the upcoming cherry season. "We spoke with people and exchanged ideas," he said. "We told them that, there would be a lower volume of cherries in this opportunity, as the production reached its maximum volume potential last season, but that the decrease wouldn't be significant, due to the entry into production of thousands of hectares in the center and south zone of the country."
He also said Chilean producers had worked to achieve the highest calibers possible, after Fedefruta detected last season that sizes less than 26 millimeters big did not get enough returns to cover production costs.
"The Chinese market, with its growth level, current modernity, and middle class demand, is ready to receive and consume more quality Chilean fruit. We confirmed in this visit that the Chinese market only has space for the largest calibers," Valenzuela said.
Fedefruta accompanied authorities on official appointments in Chile Week in China
As part of the official activities of the public-private delegation at Chile Week in China, Fedefruta accompanied Minister Walker in his meeting with the Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China (MARA), Han Jun, where they highlighted the reactivation of the Chilean Demonstration Farm in China, and committed an area to execute the Chinese farm in Chile, as was formally agreed at the end of 2016, during President Xi Jinping's visit to La Moneda.
"We can support the technical development of the Chinese farm in Chile, in the operation of the farm that is a symbol of understanding and trust between both nations," Valenzuela said.
The fruit managers went with Minister Walker to the Chilean Demonstration Farm in China, which is located in the town of Ji Xian and was created by Fedefruta 20 years ago under the management of the current Ambassador, Luis Schmidt, who also headed this activity. On the occasion, they announced the farm would be re-launched in China, incorporating new grafts, species and varieties, to show the Chinese people Chile's production systems.
In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture met with the Chinese Minister of Customs, Ni Yuefeng, in order to facilitate the entry of new Chilean forestry and agricultural products to the Asian giant. At the meeting, the protocols for exporting fresh fruit from Chile to China were updated. "We spoke about the entry of pears, which is very close to being signed, the opening of citrus, which will take placer later, as well as about other agricultural products," said Valenzuela, who was present at the meeting.
According to Fedefruta, another key milestone of Chile Week was the signing of a twinning agreement between the Region of O'Higgins, which concentrates 26% of the fruit area of Chile and where the hectares devoted to cherry crops have increased by 57.9% in three years, and Shanxi, with the purpose of opening doors for investment in the area and further development for the agricultural, tourism, and education sectors, among others. "Fedefruta will fully participate in all productive development activities that this approach creates," the president of the union stated.