According to Steven Leung, Managing Director of the Hong Kong-based company Alfa fruit Packers, a bumper pear crop is expected in China this season. “From what growers estimate, this year’s crop will be at least 20% greater than last year’s,” he affirms. “However, the fruit will also be a bit smaller in size, as there has not been much rain due to the El Niño phenomenon. Some areas, in fact, may already be in pre-severe drought situations.”
Apples, in any case, also present problems of their own. In this regard, Mr Leung says he is hoping for lower prices than last year, when many decided to keep the fruit in cold storage and ended up losing a lot of money, since right now only about 50% of the fruit in storage is sellable.
In more global terms, Mr Leung believes that “Chinese fruit will have less and less influence on the world market, as the Chinese yuan is so strong and the fruit is becoming more and more expensive. Last year, we exported 5-6% of the total crop, but now perhaps only 1% is being exported. I see China becoming more of an importer than an exporter of fruit. Even Alfa Packers, in the past were 100% focused on exports, will be supplying 50-60% of our total volume in the domestic market.”
For more information:
Alfa Fruit Packers
Tel: 0086-186-532-23-686
sales@alfafruitpackers.cn
http://alfafruitpackers.cn/cn/default.html