Even though week 18 included the 3-day holiday around May 1st, that did not significantly stimulate the import market. The two main import fruits at the moment are oranges and grapes. There was no visible difference in market conditions or supply volume before and after the short holiday. Many importers stated that supply exceeds demand by far. This is the main reason for the bleak conditions of the orange and grape markets in this season. Add to this the unusual spring weather, when temperatures rose far more slowly than normal, and it becomes clear why consumer demand for fruit also grows slower than normal.
The import market for oranges is in a worse condition than in previous years. There has been a bumper harvest of domestic oranges. Not only did the supply volume increase, but the supply period also extended until April. In comparison, the supply season in 2017 ended in January. At the same time, more importers went directly to Egypt, Spain, and Israel to import oranges, because import market conditions were excellent last year. This has led to an obvious increase in import volume. Moreover, the product quality of Egyptian and Spanish summer oranges was worse this year, and many oranges suffered from frostbite. This has caused a steep drop in prices for imported oranges between March and April. The domestic supply volume gradually declined in April, and temperatures slowly climbed above 20 degrees throughout the country. Under these improved conditions, the price of Spanish oranges reached 170-180 yuan [26.72-28.29 USD] (based on sizes 56/64) this week, while the price of many Egyptian oranges also climbed above 80 yuan [12.57 USD] (based on sizes 56/64).
Spanish oranges
Egyptian oranges
Another interesting citrus product that deserves attention is grapefruit from Israel. Although grapefruit from Israel is more expensive than Egyptian grapefruit, the quality is also higher and the supply period longer. Grapefruit from Israel achieved great success on the Chinese market in 2017, before grapefruit from South Africa arrived. Many importers noted this success and increased their import of Israeli grapefruit in April. This caused a peak supply volume in early April. Add to this the arrival of grapefruit from South Africa, and it is no surprise that the price of Israeli grapefruit dropped from 200 yuan [31.43 USD] to around 140 yuan [22 USD]. This week the supply volume decreased, and the price of recently delivered Israeli grapefruit increased again to 200 yuan [31.43 USD] (based on sizes 40/45).
Recently delivered grapefruit from Israel
Meanwhile, the grape market is in a similarly poor condition as a result of problems with product quality. The color of imported Red Globe grapes from Chile is relatively dark this season as a result of weather conditions in the production areas. This, and widespread water damage, had a direct influence on the price of imported Chilean grapes on the Chinese market. Only in the first week of April, when the supply volume was extremely low, did the price increase to 190 yuan [29.86 USD]. The rest of the time, however, the price of regular quality Red Globe grapes remained between 130-160 yuan [20.43-25.15 USD] (based on J-class). This week, the price of J-class, regular quality Red Globe grapes hovered around 140 yuan [22 USD].
Chilean Red Globe grapes
The market conditions for imported Australian grapes are not the same as for imported Chilean grapes. The market conditions last year were extremely poor for Australian grapes, so that this year there were fewer importers who continued to import Australian grapes. The supply volume of Australian grapes decreased. At the same time, Australian suppliers lowered the cost price of grapes to make sure they maintained their share of the Chinese market. This week the price of Australian Crimson Seedless grapes climbed to around 350 yuan [55.01 USD], and retail sales were brisk.
Australian grapes