Nation's farmers cater to taste for foreign foods
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="Patricia">Patricia</span> <span word="Kontur">Kontur</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="surprised">surprised</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="blueberry">blueberry</span> <span word="export">export</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sudden">sudden</span> <span word="slump">slump</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span>, <span word="after">after</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="consecutive">consecutive</span> <span word="gains">gains</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="slump">slump</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="caused">caused</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="shrinking">shrinking</span> <span word="demand">demand</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="rising">rising</span> <span word="competition">competition</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mainland">mainland</span>, <span word="said">said</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="export">export</span> <span word="program">program</span> <span word="director">director</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Wild">Wild</span> <span word="Blueberry">Blueberry</span> <span word="Association">Association</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="America">America</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="oversees">oversees</span> <span word="blueberry">blueberry</span> <span word="farms">farms</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Maine">Maine</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Domestic">Domestic</span> <span word="players">players</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="of">of</span> '<span word="blueberries">blueberries</span>' <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decade">decade</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="mass">mass</span>-<span word="produce">produce</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="berries">berries</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="guarantee">guarantee</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="consumers">consumers</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="lower">lower</span> <span word="price">price</span>," <span word="she">she</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Imported">Imported</span> <span word="foods">foods</span>, <span word="until">until</span> <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rarity">rarity</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="are">are</span> <span word="becoming">becoming</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="common">common</span>, <span word="buoyed">buoyed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="increasingly">increasingly</span> <span word="affluent">affluent</span> <span word="population">population</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="high">high</span>-<span word="profile">profile</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="scandals">scandals</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="Association">Association</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Food">Food</span> <span word="Industries">Industries</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="forecast">forecast</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="consumer">consumer</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="imported">imported</span> <span word="foods">foods</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="market">market</span> <span word="of">of</span> 480 <span word="billion">billion</span> <span word="yuan">yuan</span> ($76 <span word="billion">billion</span>) <span word="by">by</span> 2018.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="noticeable">noticeable</span> <span word="shift">shift</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="occurred">occurred</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="years">years</span>: <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="produce">produce</span> <span word="cheaper">cheaper</span> <span word="versions">versions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="foods">foods</span>, <span word="squeezing">squeezing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="margin">margin</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="foreign">foreign</span> <span word="exporters">exporters</span>.</p><p><span word="For">For</span> <span word="instance">instance</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="blueberries">blueberries</span> <span word="previously">previously</span> <span word="available">available</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="primarily">primarily</span> <span word="originated">originated</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="America">America</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="domestic">domestic</span> <span word="production">production</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fruit">fruit</span> <span word="skyrocketed">skyrocketed</span>, <span word="showing">showing</span> <span word="compound">compound</span> <span word="annual">annual</span> <span word="growth">growth</span> <span word="rate">rate</span> <span word="of">of</span> 134 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="from">from</span> 2007 <span word="to">to</span> 2010 <span word="and">and</span> <span word="hitting">hitting</span> 5,000 <span word="tons">tons</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> 2010, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="report">report</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chilean">Chilean</span> <span word="Fresh">Fresh</span> <span word="Fruit">Fruit</span> <span word="Exporters">Exporters</span> <span word="Association">Association</span>.</p>
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