First shipment of Chinese pears lands in Chile

SANTIAGO – The first of two containers of Chinese pears is already in Chile and the second due to arrive in the first week of December.

These are three varieties of high quality pears, which are not found in Chile, and that will be an opportunity for the national consumer to enjoy new types of high quality pears, according to Asoex president Ronald Bown.

The promotions will run from mid-December until mid-January 2018, the FruitNet reports.

The reciprocity agreement also includes the negotiation of the entry of Chilean pears into China, a process that Asoex said are well on track.

According to Asoex figures, Chile exported more than 231,000 tonnes of fresh fruits to China in 2016/17, the main products being table grapes with 41.2 percent of total shipments, cherries (23.5 per cent), plums (11.7 per cent), apples (8 per cent), kiwifruit (7.6 per cent), avocados (5.4 per cent), blueberries (3.2 per cent) and nectarines (1.7 per cent).

The main pear varieties planted in China are Asian pears such as Snow pear, Ya pear, Huangguan pear, Fengshui pear, Fragrant pear, Fengshui pear, and Nanguo pear. The majority of pear production in China is harvested.