After four years of careful cultivation and management, the first demonstration orchard in China with the modern North American model built by Yunnan Xinte Fruit Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. in Malong, Yunnan, welcomed its first crop of marketable volume. This means that the integration of water and fertilizer in the growing process and the management of mechanized operations in large-scale orchards in China have caught up with the leading international level.
Mr. Lu, Growing Director of the company, said, “In recent years, the domestic demand for imported cherries from North and South America has been increasing, but issues such as a rise in prices due to the increase in tariffs and the inconvenience in logistics due to Covid-19, have gradually become apparent. Growing cherries locally in Yunnan ensures the quality of the fruit and rids of the pressure of sea-freight, allowing consumers to enjoy high-quality and affordable fresh cherries."
"At present, cherries in China are mainly grown in greenhouses. Although refined management is involved in the growing process, the fruit is generally soft, watery, lacking the crunchiness that cherries should have. The few open-field growers mostly grow them in small-scales in relatively primitive methods without integrated water and fertilizer management and sound disease and pest management programs, and the production is unstable. Although the color and firmness of the fruit have been greatly improved in recent years, the texture is still poor and the sugar content is not up to the standard, resulting in poor eating quality. This has gravely affected the income of growers and restricted the development of the cherry industry in China.”
"In order to solve the current problems in the cherry growing industry, we invited experts from North America with 16 years of experience in guiding cherry cultivation and Chinese experts to meet up with the management personnel with practical experience in Yunnan Province. Together, they formulated a sound solution for effective modern growing management suitable for China. This solution involves site selection, design, construction, and management of the growing center and takes into consideration the climate and soil conditions as well as the habits and level of cultivation in Yunnan and other main producing areas in China. In April 2020, we harvested our first volumes, whose quality, including color, firmness, length of the stem, and color, has reached or exceeded the level of North American cherries. The average sugar content is about 25%, with the highest reaching 32%."
“Due to the low volume of the first crop, we mostly marketed them through e-commerce. The feedback from customers was very good. Due to the limited quantity, the price of premium fruit reached 258 yuan/kg, which is even higher than that of imported cherries from the United States. We expect to reach commercial volumes next year, and expect our pricing to be more in line with market rules by then.”
More Information:
Contact: Duan Xian
Company: Yunnan Xinte Fruit Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.
Email: sabrina.duan@lantaofruits.com