Liu Zhi, the general manager and founder of Chinese importer and logistics company, Dalian Yidu, has won the Cherry Visionary Award at an international event in the cherry industry taking place today in Chile.

The award was presented to Zhi at the second annual edition of the Global Cherry Summit by Gustavo Yentzen, general manager of Yentzen Group, one of the event organizers; Cristian Tagle, president of the Chilean Cherry Committee; and Alejandro García-Huidobro of Exportadora Prize.

Yentzen said the award "recognizes cherry industry leaders who stand out for their innovation, initiative, because they dared to take risks, and who, thanks to their work, effort and example, helped to advance the whole industry".

(L-R) Gustavo Yentzen, general manager of Yentzen Group; Cristian Tagle, president of the Chilean Cherry Committee; Liu Zhi, general manager of Dalian Yidu; and Alejandro García-Huidobro of Exportadora Prize.

Zhi has been involved in the Chinese fruit and vegetable import industry for more than 25 years, over which time he has worked to improve the agricultural supply chain through a logistics network in numerous cities that has allowed for better integration of imported fruit from farm to fork.

In comments made to FreshFruitPortal.com, Zhi said: "I am very happy to receive this award. For us, it's always been about working on trying to find the solution, how to improve the industry and how to get better returns for the growers."

He added that cherries have seen a huge change in China over the last 15 or 20 years, and that there's no other fruit that can or will be able to challenge cherries' position in the Chinese market.

Tagle added that Yidu "has been a permanent actor that has been constantly contributing to the industry with new initiatives and development".

He highlighted the work the company has done with express air and sea freight services, as well as opening up distribution centers in China.

The 2019 edition of the Global Cherry Summit, which takes place in the world's top cherry-exporting country, has welcomed around 700 industry professionals from across the global supply chain. 

At the inaugural Global Cherry Summit that took place in April last year, the Cherry Visionary Award was presented to Hernán Garcés Echeverría of family company Agricola Garcés, an industry pioneer known as "the father of Chilean cherries".

Stay tuned for more coverage of the Global Cherry Summit 2019 over the coming days.