There is tremendous demand from China for Chilean cherries. That has caused it to become a truly exclusive item in the European market. Nevertheless, Komatha Fresh has again scheduled arrivals of flown-in Chilean cherries. Although in the Netherlands, Komatha Fresh is part of an Indian fruit giant.
"Chile sends most of its cherries to China. They're hugely popular and very pricey there, especially around the Chinese New Year," says Komatha Fresh's Jan Leegwater. "We, however, made contact with a Chilean grower, Santiago. He and his associates farm an area of about 100 hectares. That's for export to China and the Netherlands."
"Santiago cultivates only Santina cherries. This variety is well-known for its lovely dark color, firm flesh, and large fruit. All the cherries are GlobalGAP certified. Santiago used to bring his cherries to a packing station that sold them elsewhere. Now, the growers have taken matters into their own hands. So, we've been able to shorten the Chilean cherries supply chain nicely."
"The cherries are electronically sorted by color and size. That resulted in a great, uniform product, packed in exclusive boxes," Jan explains. "This direct line with the grower and grader means a door-to-door delivery time of 72 hours. The short lines extend the end customer's sales time. It also allows for customized packaging."
From week 49 to 51, Komatha Fresh will have plenty of flown-in Chilean cherries available. "There's lots of interest. It remains a truly exclusive item in the Netherlands too. And there's good demand among true connoisseurs. But it's expensive. You don't just drop off a pallet of Chilean cherries. Thanks to air freight, we can import cherries in pallets. That keeps things interesting. We deliver the cherries per pallet (120x5 kg) throughout the Netherlands," Jan concludes.
For more information:
Jan Leegwater
Komatha Fresh
Tel: +31 (0) 621 412 681
Email: [email protected]