As summer arrives in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile's cherry harvest goes into full swing, with about 90 percent of this prized fruit flowing to its largest and most important overseas market -- China. In the highly competitive yet thriving Chinese market, cherries from Chile, one of the world's largest cherry exporters, have gained popularity among Chinese consumers for their high quality and stable supply. "About 90 percent of Chile's cherry exports go to China. I believe there are several key reasons for this. First, the Chinese market is large and still expanding. Second, Chinese consumers highly appreciate the counter-seasonal nature of Chilean cherries. While other countries are not harvesting cherries, we are able to produce them," said Chile's Minister of Agriculture Ignacia Fernandez. According to predictions by local industry associations, Chile is expected to export approximately 131 million boxes of cherries this season, with the export season lasting until February next year. "The current cherry season is progressing smoothly overall. We are now in the 48th week of the year, and so far, Chile has exported about 131,000 tons of cherries globally, with around 112,000 tons shipped to China," said Claudia Soler, executive director of the Chilean Cherry Committee. The cherry sector has become a vital economic pillar in Chile. Industry data show that the cherry sector provides about 200,000 jobs locally, accounting for one-third of all employment in the country's fruit sector. In Chile's central region of O'Higgins, a core cherry-growing area, pickers start their work as early as 06:00 each day. Given the delicate nature of cherries, hand-picking remains the primary harvesting method in the region. "My name is Isolina. I have been harvesting cherries here for several years. I handle them with extra care because cherries are very delicate and they will travel a long way across the ocean to reach China," said a cherry picker, Isolina Gonzalez. The journey of a cherry from the tree branch to the fruit basket of a Chinese consumer involves many steps. During harvesting, workers assess the fruit's color, firmness, and ripeness to initially select suitable clusters for export. These clusters are then sent to sorting centers for strict grading, ensuring that only premium-quality cherries are exported. After sorting, cherries from different origins, batches, and grades are packed separately. From pre-packing throughout the entire transportation process, the cherries are kept at temperatures ideal for storage and shipping. "Temperature control is crucial. That's why we follow strict procedures throughout the entire process to prevent any damage to the cherries from the moment they are picked until they arrive at the packing center, ensuring they are properly packed and loaded onto vessels," said Gonzalo Ahumada, export manager of a Chilean fruit export company. To ensure that the carefully handled new-season cherries arrive fresh, Chile has enhanced its express shipping services this year. The number of direct charter voyages has increased to 32 -- double that of last year -- and the sailing time has been reduced to approximately 23 days. SHOTLIST: Chile - Recent 1. Aerial shots of cherry plantation; 2. Various of cherries; 3. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Ignacia Fernandez, Chile's Minister of Agriculture (starting with shot 2): "About 90 percent of Chile's cherry exports go to China. I believe there are several key reasons for this. First, the Chinese market is large and still expanding. Second, Chinese consumers highly appreciate the counter-seasonal nature of Chilean cherries. While other countries are not harvesting cherries, we are able to produce them."; 4. Various of workers picking cherries; 5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Claudia Soler, executive director, Chilean Cherry Committee (starting with shot 4): "The current cherry season is progressing smoothly overall. We are now in the 48th week of the year, and so far, Chile has exported about 131,000 tons of cherries globally, with around 112,000 tons shipped to China."; 6. Various of workers picking cherries; 7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Isolina Gonzalez, cherry picker (starting with shot 6/ending with shot 8): "My name is Isolina. I have been harvesting cherries here for several years. I handle them with extra care because cherries are very delicate and they will travel a long way across the ocean to reach China."; 8. Various of cherry cluster; 9. Various workers sorting cherries; 10. Various of cherries on conveyor belt; 11. Worker sorting cherries; 12. Boxes of cherries on conveyor belt; 13. Various of workers packaging cherries; 14. Workers transferring products; 15. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Gonzalo Ahumada, export manager, Chilean fruit export company (starting with shot 14): "Temperature control is crucial. That's why we follow strict procedures throughout the entire process to prevent any damage to the cherries from the moment they are picked until they arrive at the packing center, ensuring they are properly packed and loaded onto vessels."; 16. Various of workers transferring products; forklift; truck transporting container; 17. Aerial shot of port scene. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]