"The Chinese New Year is less than two weeks away, which is the prime sales period for Australian plums," said Mr. Wei from Guangzhou Xinyixing Fruit. "The mainstream variety, France, arrived on the market this month. After the acidity has gradually subsided, the taste and hardness are good at this stage. This is the time when sales can increase most."
"On the other hand, because many merchants' purchases of cherries have been close to saturation in the second half of this week, and they are looking to match them with other high-quality fruits, this is the prime period for Australian plum sales."
It is understood that due to the weather in the production area, the arrival volume is currently small. "During the picking time this month, a mist-like drizzle fell in Australia. This is not good news for crops, because fruits are prone to damage. Some fruit farmers delayed picking, resulting in fewer arrivals. Among the fruits on the market, some batches had problems such as black stalks, soft fruits, and easy rotting. The rain was the main reason."
Due to delayed harvest, some fruits that are growing well are expected to arrive at the market next week. The New Year holiday will begin next Saturday (February 10). If the fruits arrive close to the holiday, it will be more difficult to sell these fruits. It’s possible to miss prime sales time.”
According to Wei, due to the late Chinese New Year this year and the lack of arrivals, prices have increased by about 25% compared to the same period last year. "A 10KG carton pack currently sells for an average price of about ￥500-600/piece, and the peak price was more than ￥700/piece. This time last year, the Chinese New Year was over, so the price was lower. The overall sales of Australian plums are currently good, and it is estimated that sales will gradually begin to slow down in the second half of this week."
In terms of similar competing products, a small amount of imported Chilean plums have been put on the market, but they have little impact on Australian ones. "The taste of Chilean plums arriving at this stage is not yet ready, and the price and sales volume have not had an impact on Australian plums."
To meet the demand for gift packages during the Chinese New Year, Wei packed Australian plums into small packaging, including two 1.5kg boxes of "two-in-one" format, and a small box of 2.5kg. "The two-in-one package is more popular. Some companies will use the "two-in-one" ones as gifts because it is more cost-effective."
Guangzhou Xinyixing Fruit is mainly a wholesale market stall, operating a variety of seasonal imported and domestic high-quality fruits. Currently, it is mainly selling Australian plums and other imported stone fruits.