The Chilean cherry industry set a new world record in Shanghai on Thursday for making the longest line of fruit.
A total of 24,638 cherries were placed next to each other in a continuous line forming the figure of two large cherries, smashing the previous record of 17, 471 kiwifruit, which was set in Xiuwen, China in September 2018.
The Guinness Book of Records was created in the 1950s by an executive of the iconic Guinness Brewery and became one of the best selling books in history.
An official representative of Guinness World Records presented the Chilean Cherry Committee and Asoex with a certificate at a special celebration to mark the event held at the International Cruise Terminal of the Port of Shanghai.
The event brought together representatives of the Chinese fruit industry, the Chilean government, Chilean cherry exporters and producers, as well as Chilean cherry lovers from all over China.
“The cherry harvest runs from November to February in Chile, as they mature in our long and thin country, which measures 4,720km from north to south, and only 217km across, from east to west,” said Asoex president Ronald Bown.
'Over the past decade, eating counterseasonal cherries has quickly become a new tradition for the holiday season in China,” said Christian Tagle, president of the Chilean Cherry Committee.
“As the tradition of cherries in winter is relatively new to China, they do not have the same cultural history and meaning of some other fruits—such as mandarins for good fortune, or apples to signify peace and tranquility.
“Therefore, Cherries from Chile is establishing for our sweet, juicy red fruit, a new positioning of Enjoy Your Red Moments. Red Moments are those special times when we gather with our family, friends and colleagues and share Chilean cherries.'
Chile is the largest supplier of cherries to China, which is also its top customer for the fruit, buying over 85 per cent of Chile's cherry export volume.
'During the winter months from November to February, the majority of cherries a consumer in China buys come from Chile,' said Juan José Vidal Wood, Trade Commissioner at the Shanghai office of ProChile.
Chilean cherries are imported into China with zero tariff, as is the case with more than 97 per cent of Chile's total exports to China, including all fresh fruit.
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