China: Heavy rains reduce Shandong pear production by 20%

"This year, the pear production from Shandong has decreased 20% compared to last year. The main reason is that the trees encountered a lot of rain during the blossoming period. However, this bad weather did not have any influence on the shape, taste and sweetness of this season's pears," according to Mr. Xu Yanhua from the Guanxian Jinsha Fruit and Vegetable Expert Cooperative.

"Our Cooperative is located in Liaocheng, Shandong. We have a production area of over 4000 hectares (40.000 mu), and produce a wide range of pears, such as Fengshui pears and golden pears. 40% of our excellent pears are sold through the traditional sales channels to distributors and supermarkets in first and second tier cities in China. The remaining 60% is exported from the port of Qingdao to countries in South-East Asia. For the past few years, we have relied on the great reputation of our company and our high quality products. We already have a stable customer base. In order to realize optimization of supply and demand, we are implementing an order-based sales method."

"Every year, the peak period for exporting Shandong pears starts on 10 July. It will end around 25 August. Last year, because the demand on the South-East Asian market reduced, our export volume dropped slightly. However, we remain optimistic about the next export season, because the price in South-East Asia is excellent, and because our pears have a great quality. It is estimated that this year's export volume will be higher than last year's. The export price will remain the same."

Xu Yanhua