The 2025-2026 season presented significant challenges for the cherry industry, but it also sparked a debate about how to regain competitiveness without sacrificing what has allowed Chilean cherries to position themselves in international markets: quality. This was one of the main messages delivered by Carlos Silva after participating in the forum “How to Face the Second Half? Analysis from the Producer’s Perspective,” held at the fourth edition of CherryTech.
Following his participation in the panel, the agronomist stated that one of the main challenges is reducing the historical gap between producers and exporters. In his opinion, both parties must understand the difficulties each faces in order to build a truly strategic relationship.
“The producer needs to understand how the fruit is sold, where it goes, and who buys it, while the exporter must understand the effort involved in producing a kilo of high-quality cherries,” he noted. Along these lines, he explained that quality cannot become a variable to be adjusted in the face of difficult seasons. He recalled experiences in other fruit-growing sectors and warned that reducing investment in management ultimately deteriorates orchards and jeopardizes the viability of the business.
Finally, he agreed on the need to move toward objective standards that allow for the identification and differentiation of higher-quality fruit. In his opinion, measurable technical parameters during harvest and reception would allow for the establishment of incentives for those who manage to produce premium cherries.
“We have to differentiate the product that arrives in China. The producer who does things right and achieves high-quality fruit should receive recognition, while deficient management practices should be reflected in the system. This differentiation is part of the path to strengthening the industry’s competitiveness,” he concluded.
We invite you to read the full interview here.