He was waiting, but the Spanish cherry has just received news that had been waiting for a while: China has opened the doors of Its gigantic market. After years of negotiation between Beijing and Madrid, the Asian giant has given green light to the export of fruits cultivated in Spain, an agreement that had already been profiled In spring but that has not resolved its last fringes so far.
Now there are two other goods expecting: The pistachio and the dry fig.
What happened? That one of the main markets of the world, the Chinese, has just opened to the Spanish cherry. And that is an important news for several reasons. First because that vast market is made up of more than 1.4 billion of potential consumers. Second because the Asian giant seems especially interested In this fruit, valued both for its taste and its cultural impact (it is considered a symbol of fortune, especially during the New Year), a demand that has been benefited until now especially Chile.
But what has changed? Basically, that the General Administration of Customs of China (AGA) has given its definitive approval to exports of Spanish cherry. The news has been advanced by the department led by Luis Planas in A statement confirming that the Asian Administration has already published the registration of authorized establishments for the sending of fruit. “It puts an end to a complex negotiation process of several years”, stands out. The sector Trust in which the new protocol “expedite” its ability to export.
Is it a novelty? Yes. And no. Beijing has just opened its doors, but the news will catch few by surprise. It was expected Since AprilWhen Planas and Chinese Customs Minister Sun Meijun signed several protocols for the export of pigs and cherries, agreements that add to the dozen of pacts signed since 2018 on sanitary requirements oriented to food export.
To move from political theory to commercial practice there were nevertheless several pending procedures. In June, AGA technicians conducted an audit of plots and stores related to the export of cherries to confirm that they fulfill the sanitary protocol. Before, in 2024, a delegation sent by Beijing had already been in charge of visiting some producing areas of the country.
Are the details known? Yes. The Government He has revealed Some details of the agreement signed with China. The closed protocol with Beijing, for example, that the phases of processing, packaging, storage and transport of the fruit that is exported to China is carried out “under the supervision” of the ministry. “This will also be responsible for ensuring that only the cherries of the registered orchards can enter the clothing warehouse for their selection and processed.”
The agreement will be valid for three years and adds to the bilateral export pacts between Spain and China of those who already enjoy other crops, such as citrus, peach, plum, table grape, chaqui or almond. Among other merchandise, Chinese authorities also allow the sale of fodder oatmeal, olive paste and dehydrate alfalfa destined for animal feed.
Soon the list could be extended even more. The Planas department acknowledges that, after closing the agreement for cherries, the files of two other products with roots in Spain continue to negotiate: The pistachio and dry figs.
Why is it important? For several reasons. The cherry cultivation is not equally extended throughout Spain, but there are provinces in which it is relevant, such as Cáceres or Zaragoza. According to The latest statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, in 2022 the production of cherry and icing of the country as a whole touched the 114,000 t, with a fundamental weight of Aragon (48,600) and Estremadura (40,000), followed quite distance in Catalonia (6,800), Andalusia (5,300) and Murcia (3,500).
The sector expects the agreement with Beijing to expand its horizon. “It will open new possibilities for export to this fruit, whose culture has had an important development,” celebrated Already in April Pemex, the Federation of Producers of fruits, vegetables, flowers and plants. “The export of cherry from Spain in 2024 stood at 39,968 tons, the European Union being the first destination, with 33,440 T”.
Among the extra -community markets stands out above all the United Kingdom, which received more than 5,700 tons, and South Africa and Hong Kong, with around one hundred tons each. Fruit shipments reached a value of 139 million euros.
Will it have it easy? No. Although the agreement is good news for the Asian aspirations of the Spanish cherry, the truth is that it must compete in a complex market. According to the last forecasts collected by Produces reportit is expected that in the 2025/2026 season, which will last until March, the production of China cherries will grow 6% to 900,000 T, which demonstrates the bet within the country itself. One of the keys to that rebound is the increase in cultivated area, which during last season was around 199,000 ha.
His high demand has led Beijing to use Chilean productionincreasingly focused on China. If in 2016 the South American country exported about 40,000 t of fruit to the Asian giant, in 2023 that figure had already fired until exceeding 370,000 t. At the beginning of the year the Xinhua agency He pointed out That during the last season Chile expert to the world more than 625,000 tons of fresh cherry, of which 568,000 left for China’s markets.
Images | US Department of Agriculture (Flickr), Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra (Unspash) and Ok Apartment (Flickr)
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