China’s cherry sales suffer ‘devastating blow’ after reports of coronavirus contamination scare consumers

Reports that some imported cherries tested positive for traces of the coronavirus last week swiftly sent shock waves across Chinese social media, scaring customers and hurting cherry sales during the peak season ahead of the Lunar New Year.

New information circulating online – that cherries have since tested negative for coronavirus contamination – appears to have done little to placate customers and quell the cherry crisis in China.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Liangxi district, Wuxi, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, issued a circular on January 21 saying that tests on imported cherries in late December revealed coronavirus contamination. This set off alarm bells across the country just a few weeks before the holiday period when cherries are commonly given as gifts in China as a symbol of wealth and prosperity.

Cherry sales have been sent into a tailspin, and Chilean authorities have sprung into damage-control mode to protect one of the country’s vital exports, even though the origin of the contaminated cherries was not disclosed.

“It’s a devastating blow to the entire industry,” a wholesale agent in Guangzhou’s Jiangnan wholesale market said.

And news of the contamination has hurt not only sales of cherries, but all manner of fruits.

Importers in China said cherry and fruit sales have stalled, and prices have plummeted. Customers are said to be lowballing Chilean cherry vendors, offering to pay as little as 80 yuan (US$12.36) for 5kg boxes priced between 160 and 300 yuan.

Chile is the top cherry exporter in the world, according to market intelligence group Tridge. And nearly 90 per cent of the country’s cherries end up in China. The impact on other popular cherry imports, including from Australia, New Zealand and Canada, has been relatively minimal.