Cherries: Rise in Chinese production and drop in imports

According to a recent FAS - GAIN report from USDA, the United States Department of Agriculture, China's cherry production is estimated at 650,000 tons for the 2022/23 marketing year (April-March), or +8% compared to the previous campaign. The planted areas will reach 170,000 hectares (165,000 hectares for the previous campaign) and the production of cherries, including in greenhouses, should continue to increase over the next few years as the new plantations begin to bear fruit.

 

Cherry consumption continues to grow and the Chinese supply is still insufficient to meet demand. For the 2022/23 campaign, consumption is forecast at around 950,000 tonnes. That is +3.5% compared to the 918,000 tonnes for the 2021/22 campaign.

 

When it comes to imports, various hurdles like higher shipping costs, as well as COVID-related inspections and testing processes along the cold chain, impact the volume and quality of imported cherries. The volume of cherries imported by China is expected to vary by -6% in the marketing year 2022/23 (April-March) and reach 300,000 tons.

 

In China, the peak of cherry imports occurs before or around the Chinese New Year which is celebrated in January and February, when the supply of Chinese cherries is low and the southern hemisphere harvest is at its peak. A second peak in imports occurs in July and August, after the end of the local cherry season.