"Xiaxian County of Shanxi Province is one of the apricot production areas in northern China. The apricot growers here spontaneously formed our own cooperatives. Currently, the total cultivation area has reached approximately 20,000 acres, of which the greenhouse area accounts for around 1,000 acres," said Mr. Yinghui Tian, sales manager of Xiale Agricultural Development Ltd from Xiaxian, Shanxi.
Greenhouse for apricot plantation
Apricot trees with fruits
"Apricots from the greenhouse have entered the market recently, followed by apricots from the plastic sheds and those from the field. The supply will continue until the end of June. Varieties available will be Golden Sun, Kate and Meixing successively."
Large ripe apricots
"The growth of apricots is mostly affected by climate. This year there hasn't been a lot of frost, and thus the yields from this season are slightly higher than last year and the quality is also better. In addition to the weather, an increase in the growing area also contributed to the bigger yields. In the meantime, the prices are around 5% lower than the same period of last year."
Apricots from the greenhouses
Apricots from greenhouses ready for harvest
"Our apricots are sold primarily through traditional channels to urban wholesale markets and supermarkets in major cities, with those from the greenhouses mainly available at supermarkets at higher prices. In the past, distributors bought apricots from us at the very beginning of the season. This year, we did an industry consolidation and standardization management for our cooperatives. We also actively reached out to different marketing channels to lay the foundation for our own brand."
Mr. Yinghui Tian
Sales manager
Xiale Agricultural Development Ltd from Xiaxian, Shanxi
Cellphone: + 86 18634807787