Chile's Blueberry Committee-ASOEX launched a creative campaign in a Shanghai cinema, where attendees enjoyed rectangular striped boxes filled with fresh Chilean blueberries instead of the traditional popcorn while enjoying the screening of the short film 'Blue Pop' to celebrate the 2018/2019 Chilean blueberry season in China and to promote this super Chilean fruit as a snack that can be consumed at any time and on any occasion.
The Blue Pop promotional event was held at the Zhonghong cinema on West Yingao Road in Shanghai and was organized by Chile's Blueberry Committee-ASOEX with ProChile; two entities that make various efforts to promote exports of Chilean blueberries throughout the world and under the brand Blueberries from Chile.
The promotion, which was a prelude to the presentation of the film Young Female Warrior, consisted of a special ceremony in which Juan Jose Vidal Wood, the Head of the Office of ProChile in China, and Charif Christian Carvajal, the Marketing Director of ASOEX for Europe and Asia, spoke about the campaign, described the benefits and availability of Chilean blueberries, and answered several questions from the media present at the launch.
The professionals highlighted that the blueberry season is in full swing at this moment in Chile, the main exporter of this fruit worldwide. In the 2017/18 season, Chilean blueberry exports reached a record high of more than 145 thousand tons, 110,400 tons of which were fresh blueberries, and another 35,000 tons of frozen blueberries. While the value of fresh exports reached USD $ 548 million.
Last season, Chile sent 9,700 tons of fresh blueberries to China, both by air and by sea. So far in this 2018-2019 season, specifically during the second week of January this year, Chile exported 66,302 tons of fresh blueberries, that is 6% more than in the same period of the 2017-2018 season.
"Chile produces and exports more blueberries than any other country in the southern hemisphere," said Juan Jose Vidal Wood of ProChile, adding that "Chilean fruit producers are world class producers. They have advanced cultivation techniques, high-tech classification and packaging facilities, and cutting-edge shipping methods. This means that we can deliver fruits like blueberries around the world, even to consumer tables in China, in a state of perfect freshness and just in time for the demand for our Chilean fruits to peak during the weeks leading up to the Chinese New Year."
While blueberries have gained popularity among consumers as a gift for many years during the Spring Festival, consumers in China were reminded this year that blueberries are not just a fruit that can be enjoyed at this festival.
"Chilean blueberries are an excellent snack choice anytime and anywhere," said Charif Christian Carvajal of the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile (ASOEX). "They are sold in various types of packaging that are very convenient to be carried in the gym bag, or left in a drawer in the office desk. In addition to having a unique and sweet flavor, Chilean blueberries are also a healthier alternative to other types of snacks. Blueberries contain vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, and other essential nutrients. In addition, they are naturally fat-free. Furthermore, the Chilean industry has a continuous commitment to finding new and better varieties of blueberries to provide an excellent consumer experience in terms of taste, size, and texture."
Blueberries are also known as a superfood because they have a high concentration of nutrients and a high content of antioxidants.
Chilean fresh blueberries are available in China from November to March. Meanwhile, frozen blueberries, which account for approximately 30% of Chile's total export volume, are available all year-round.
In the coming years, research and development of new technologies for cultivation, harvesting, packing, and shipping will continue to expand the global market for Chilean blueberries.