Sekoya looks to extend premium blueberry supply across China’s growing regions
China’s blueberry industry is expanding beyond the low-chill production regions that have driven much of its recent growth. For Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, Inc.’s Sekoya® platform, that creates a new opportunity: combining varieties suited to different climates and harvest windows to help growers supply premium-quality blueberries across more of the year.
Fall Creek® will bring that story to Asia Fruit Logistica, Sept. 2-4 in Hong Kong, where the company will meet with growers, marketers and retailers at Stand 3-3H41.
L-R: Sekoya Nova, Sekoya Pop
Sekoya Pop ‘FCM14-052’ is already established in Yunnan, China’s principal low-chill blueberry production region. It was developed for zero- and low-chill environments and produces early to mid-season fruit, depending on growing conditions and management. Its adaptability and ability to respond to different pruning schedules also give growers flexibility in planning production windows.
Now, Sekoya is looking at how mid- and high-chill genetics can complement that production.
“China is not one blueberry-growing environment, and that is what makes the opportunity so interesting,” said Mark David, vice president and general manager for Sekoya. “Sekoya Pop has already demonstrated what premium Sekoya fruit can deliver in low-chill production. The next step is to look at how varieties developed for mid- and high-chill conditions can complement that season.”
That progression starts with Sekoya Pop and continues with mid- and high-chill production of Sekoya Crunch ‘FC13-083’, Sekoya Grande ‘FC13-122’, Sekoya Fiesta ‘FC13-113’, and Sekoya Nova ‘FC15-173’.
L-R: Sekoya Crunch, Sekoya Grande
Sekoya Crunch is an early-season variety adapted to mid- and high-chill environments. Its fruit combines firmness, size and a sweet, aromatic flavor, while retaining its characteristic crunch through extended cold storage.
Fiesta moves the window later. Developed as a high-chill variety, it produces large, firm fruit with a sweet, aromatic flavor in the late season. Evaluations have also shown strong fruit quality through as many as 60 days in cold storage.
Sekoya Nova, the latest high-chill variety released to the platform, further complements the portfolio and its longer-term potential in China. It combines very large fruit with strong firmness and storage performance, including the ability to maintain fruit quality through extended cold storage.
Sekoya Fiesta
For Chinese consumers, consistency matters. Fall Creek’s 2026 Global Fresh Blueberry Consumer Study found that 74 percent of surveyed consumers in four Tier 1 Chinese cities buy blueberries at least weekly, 76 percent choose blueberries over other berries and 57 percent prefer large or jumbo fruit. Twenty-one percent recognized the Sekoya name.
While the mid- and high-chill varieties will not be showcased at Asia Fruit Logistica because their seasons do not coincide with the event, visitors will be able to taste Sekoya Pop fruit produced in Peru.
For more information:
Pavel Gonzalez
Fall Creek Farm and Nursery, Inc.
pavelg@fallcreeknursery.com
