CN Lantao Cutecumber Canada

Canada’s Mucci Farms in Ontario has worked with Shanghai-based importer Lantao to bring in the first air freight of Canadian hothouse cucumbers to China.

The miniature, seedless cucumbers, branded ‘Cutecumbers’, arrived in Shanghai on 21 April, with Lantao securing the exclusive rights to import and distribute the Mucci Farms-produced Cutecumbers in Shanghai, and across China.

“People are reacting like crazy to this new products,” John Wang, CEO of Lantao, said in a company statement. “People love them because they are seedless with no wax, very crunchy and sweet. They are perfect size for snacking, and with convenient packaging, we have a winner of a product and a great opportunity.”

While China is the biggest producing country in the world, the smaller sized variety is new to the country.

“Chian has been mostly thought of as an importer of premium fruit like cherries and grapes,” said Jim Provost, who works with Lantao and US-based I Love Produce. “But I have contended for years that someday we will ship garlic to China and now we are seeing cucumbers gaining acceptance – an even bigger crop in China than garlic.”