After three years of continuous investment in the field of domestic blueberry cultivation, JVCo, a Chinese joint venture between China Leading Fruit Group Xinrongmao and the international berry giant Hortifrut, currently has 270 hectares of blueberry planting in Yunnan, and the scale is still growing.

"We plan to complete the 500-hectare scale by the end of 2021," JVCo China Production Manager Diego Echenique told Asian Fruits. “In addition to the planting base, we are also building a blueberry packaging plant, which will have a processing capacity of 10 million kilograms per season. The packaging plant will be put into use in January 2021.”

First Industry is a manufacturer of blueberry sorting packaging equipment with many years of experience. Especially the blueberry grading machine is welcomed by many European customers. The blueberry sorting machine mainly uses a drum type grading machine, which is accurate and efficient. The blueberry packaging machine developed on the basis of the blueberry sizing machine was also consulted by many customers once it was launched. The blueberry packaging line first sorts blueberries and then puts them into plastic boxes.

"In the past two seasons, our base has achieved remarkable results in terms of production. In the new season, we expect production to increase by 100% compared to last year," Echenique said. "Our varieties have very good performance in terms of taste, size and quality, and the future prospects are very optimistic."

Although more and more blueberry suppliers have obtained access agreements from China in recent years, market competition has intensified. But Sandra Wenz, Hortifrut Asia and Middle East Platform Commercial Manager, believes that China's vast consumer market still has great room for expansion.

Compared with other fruits, blueberries are more cost-effective. The supply of high-quality blueberries to the market is therefore more important than ever. If the product is good enough, consumers will pay. This is not a new trend, but the epidemic has deepened the pursuit of value, especially in the high-end fruit field