FEB. 6, 2020

Agriculture Minister on the containers stranded in China: “Ambassador Schmidt tells me that the pace of sales should recover over the next week”

The Minister explained that next week 600 million people are due to return to the major cities after the Chinese New Year holiday and wholesale markets are then expected to get back to their normal pace.

In response to the concern expressed by fruit producers’ trade associations in recent days regarding the partial stoppage of Chinese ports due to coronavirus and given that 1,500 containers of Chilean cherries are currently stranded, Agriculture Minister Antonio Walker issued a call for calm and said that the Chinese government is taking every measure to control the emergency.

“I want to issue a call for calm and tranquility. The fruit is under a good cold chain. The Chinese government is doing everything possible to control coronavirus and the moment of truth will arrive in the middle of next week, when the 600 million people who have traveled in China return to the major cities. The wholesale markets will return and then we will see the rhythm of Chilean sales in China,” said Minister Antonio Walker.

During his tour of the Aysén region, where there are 230 hectares of cherries and the harvest season is coming to an end, Minister Antonio Walker explained that the majority of the fruit stuck in Chinese ports are cherries, but there are also nectarines, plums and blueberries.

“It’s true; there are 1,500 containers, and 20% of our cherries in China have not been sold because this is Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year holiday period was extended until February 9. Next week, the pace of sales should recover. There should be more consumption in the wholesale markets in Chinese cities,” said Minister Walker.

Similarly, the Minister added that he had “a very good conversation with Ambassador Luis Schmidt and he said that the Chinese government has taken every precaution to prevent and combat coronavirus.”

Minister Walker added that the Chilean Ambassador in China, Luis Schmidt, had also informed him that “online sales, e-commerce or Internet sales, are up between 30% and 40% because people are leaving their houses less. We need to be calm. We will see what happens next week. Then we will see the real impact of coronavirus on Chilean agricultural products.”