Blueberries

The blueberry season has started in China, and picking has begun at Wallen Agriculture’s fields in southern Qingdao, the largest blueberry production base in Asia and rivalling operations in Australia and New Zealand.

While Wallen is a relative newcomer to the blueberry sector, the company has wasted no time expanding production area. The company already has 400ha under Northern Highbush blueberries, of which 100ha are old enough to produce commercially.

Wallen Agriculture states an eventual aim of 1,500ha of production or more by 2012.

Consumption of fresh blueberries in China has increased significantly in recent years, spurred by fruit imported in minor volumes via Hong Kong.

Industry sources told Fruitnet China’s demand for blueberries is expected to hit 50,000 tonnes by 2012.

Wallen is at the forefront of a number of Chinese companies establishing production for the domestic market to take advantage of that growing demand.

The company has sales offices in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai, and has now begun building a national sales network.