HONG KONG, September 1, 2026 — Selling fresh fruit in China sounds simple enough until you run headfirst into cold-chain logistics, regional wholesale barriers, and hyper-demanding urban consumers.

It is a notoriously difficult market to crack independently. To bypass those hurdles, Del Monte Corporation—operating through its subsidiary Del Monte Fresh Produce (HK) Ltd.—just inked a major joint venture with Shanghai-based Riverking Agricultural Technology Development Co., Ltd. to capture China’s booming fresh-cut fruit sector.

The deal was officially inked during Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong. It marks Del Monte’s first massive operational move in Asia since changing its corporate name from Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. and moving to its new NYSE ticker, DMC, earlier this summer.

By combining Del Monte’s brand legacy and processing tech with Riverking’s extensive local distribution network, the partnership aims to set a new baseline for pre-packaged, ready-to-eat produce in the region.

The timing here is completely deliberate. Industry research from DataIntelo projects that China alone will represent nearly 45% of Asia’s entire fresh-cut produce market by 2034. Middle-class consumers in tier-one Chinese cities are increasingly ditching whole, unpeeled fruit in favor of sanitized, pre-portioned containers that fit busy work schedules.

Delivering that safely requires a bulletproof cold chain, which is precisely what Riverking brings to the table with its 100,000 square meters of proprietary cold storage and direct access to 11 major wholesale markets nationwide.

“This partnership with Riverking marks a significant step into China’s fresh-cut fruit market, giving Del Monte a strong platform to deepen our foothold across Asia,” said Mohammed Abbas, President and COO of Del Monte Corporation, in the official press announcement.

Mr. Zhang Ming, Founder and Chairman of Riverking Group, mirrored that sentiment, noting that the combination of Del Monte’s 135-year-old brand equity with Riverking’s local sourcing power creates an immediate market leader.

The joint venture will focus primarily on high-margin, branded fresh-cut fruit lines distributed through premium grocery channels, convenience stores, and e-commerce platforms.

For public market investors watching DMC, this is a clear sign that Del Monte is looking far beyond its traditional western supply chains to fuel its next decade of growth.

Whether this joint venture can outmaneuver entrenched domestic suppliers remains to be seen. But with Riverking running over 200 chartered fruit cargo flights per year and holding direct overseas sourcing offices, Del Monte isn’t exactly entering the arena unprepared.