SANTIAGO, Chile, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Chile's cherry industry faces a difficult 2026 season marked by oversupply, falling prices and signs of adjustment in a sector that had seen strong export growth for years.
Some fruit industry analysts say the boom in Chilean cherries may have peaked and that weaker demand in China, the main export market for the fruit, could force producers to rethink supply levels.
Exports remain high despite softer global demand. Industry association Frutas de Chile said shipments reached 113.8 million boxes, about 590,000 tons, exceeding initial projections of 110 million boxes.
Weather conditions brought the harvest forward, concentrating a larger supply of cherries in the first weeks of January, so Chilean shipments arrived before the Lunar New Year, one of the most important holidays for consumption of this fruit.
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