Chile is ramping up its assault on the Chinese market with plans to expand its offer and increase market penetration for established products such as cherries.
Ronald Bown, president of Chilean Fresh Fruit Exportrees Association Asoex, told Fruitnet that Chilean cherries had increased their presence in China due to the association’s long-term work with local partners to raise awareness and consumption levels.
“We are looking to introduce new products into the Chinese market and we’re very optimistic that new developments will be announced soon,” he said.
In cherries, Asoex is aiming to penetrate more second-tier cities including Chengdu and Hangzhou, which have important populations and rising consumption levels. “We have already been successful in major conurbations such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, but it is the second-tier cities that have experienced the most important economic growth in the last few years,” he noted.
Bown said Asoex’s strategy in Asia would be defined on a country-by-country basis and, within some countries, on a regional basis. In the past few seasons, Chilean blueberries have made important inroads into the South Korean market and exporters are prospecting new opportunities across South East Asia, Bown claimed.
Elsewhere, Chile has seen a gradual growth in shipments to a number of Latin American markets, including Colombia and Peru, while demand in central and eastern European countries is also climbing.
The full interview can be read in Fresh Focus Latin America 2014/15.
