In 2021, the People’s Republic of China overtook the United States as the world’s largest blueberry producer. Blueberries are planted in 26 of China’s 34 provinces. Meanwhile, China is also the world’s leading importer of blueberries. Imported blueberries in China are mainly from Peru and Chile, which account for over 99.9 percent of China’s total imports. The consumption of blueberries is expected to grow steadily in the coming years. Exporters are encouraged to take note of consumer expectations for flavor, size, color, and brix content.
Blueberries are planted in 26 of China’s 34 provinces, mainly using greenhouse and open field cultivation, as well as a combination of these two types. More than 56 percent of domestically produced blueberries in China are processed.
Guizhou, Liaoning, Shandong, Sichuan, and Yunnan are the primary producing areas. In 2021, 76.8 percent of China’s total blueberry production was from these five provinces. Yunnan is the main production area of fresh blueberries in China with its unique environmental conditions, such as high altitude, a big gap between day and night temperatures, and long sunshine hours. Leading blueberry enterprises in China and from other countries have made considerable investments in Yunnan in the past five years to produce blueberries, including Driscoll from the United States, Costa from Australia, and Joy Wing Mau based in China.
At present, the highest quality fresh blueberries grown in China mainly come from Yunnan Province.
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Source: fas.usda.gov