India stands out as a potential destination for Chilean cherries. As highlighted by ASOEX, it only receives 0.1% of the cherries that Chile exports but it's experiencing a 30% growth rate per year. That's why ASOEX is working on strategies to boost cherry consumption in India and coordinating actions with importers, receivers, and distributors.
“The first actions were carried out in the 2020-2021 campaign under the 'Cherry-sh every moment' slogan. Since that date, we've been carrying out different actions, such as public relations, promotions with retailers, wholesale markets, and working with influencers, among other things,” stated Claudia Soler, the manager of the ASOEX Cherry Committee. India could be a new China if we overcome the challenges that the market has, which includes logistics challenges, she stated. There is still no optimized sea route to export the cherries from Chile to India and exporting them by air increases freight costs and the price that consumers have to pay for the product.
“On the other hand, the lack of an integrated cold chain, especially at the retail level and for secondary product distribution, hinders product quality and its reach,” she added. “We must develop demand and improve logistics to ensure that our fruit arrives in the condition and quality required by consumers. It is also important to assess the current status of the cold chain.”
India's potential
India is expected to be one of the top three economic powers in the world for the next 10 to 15 years. Currently, it is a very small market for cherries. As of January 31, Chilean cherry shipments to India amount to 448 tons. This amounts to just 0.1% of the total exported by Chile, which exported 428,000 tons of cherries in the last campaign. However, it represents a 31% growth, i.e. twice the total growth recorded by the industry.
Source: redagricola.com