Many major apple production areas in Shaanxi, Gansu, Shanxi, Ningxia, and Henan suffered from freezing cold weather in April this year. The apple trees were just blossoming then and suffered irreversible frostbite damage. Some areas were hit harder than others. The damage was relatively severe in Luochuan, one of the major apple production areas in Shaanxi. The local fruit industry bureau estimates that the production volume decreased by close to 40%.
Apples
This springtime cold spell is expected to lead to a significant reduction of the apple production volume in autumn. Furthermore, apricots, peaches, plums, and pears all suffered from frostbite as well. In other words, apple production volume will decrease and so will competition in the fruit market. The consumption of apples will hopefully increase and the price of apples will hopefully rise.
The price of apples has recently fallen because apple reserves are nearing their end and the quality is not great. In addition, competition has grown more intense as summer fruits have entered the market in large volumes. The price of apples in production areas is around 1.4 yuan [0.22 USD] per 0.5 kg, which is a decrease of 26% in comparison with the 1.9 yuan [0.30 USD] per 0.5 kg earlier this year. It is also a decrease of 20% in comparison with the 1.75 yuan [0.27 USD] per 0.5 kg of last year. The major apple suppliers currently are Shandong, Shaanxi, and Shanxi.
Source: cnr.cn