According to the Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, it is impossible to celebrate New Year in the lunar calendar without New Year tangerines that represent "good fortune". Chinese families in Singapore all buy them and give them as presents to express good intentions, or keep them for their own enjoyment. When Singaporeans give presents, they pay attention to status, and therefore they are inclined to relatively large New Year tangerines. In general, a tangerine only deserves to be called a New Year tangerine if its diameter is between 75 mm and 85 mm.
This year the Lunar New Year falls in February. The tangerines that come from all over China have had an abundant season and tend to be sweet. However, the President of the Singapore Fruits and Vegetables Importers & Exporters Association, Zheng Qianmu, pointed out that this year China suffered from a burst of rainfall which limited the size of Yongchun tangerines. The harvest of New Year tangerines is therefore also smaller than expected. Still, there will be no problem with the pre-ordered supply from this area.
Zheng further stated that the continued growth of China's economy in recent years has facilitated the spread of New Year tangerines from the south to the north. Previously only southerners bought tangerines to celebrate Lunar New Year, but this year the custom has already spread to other provinces. This has caused an increased demand, and the price of tangerines naturally followed. It is evident in large supermarkets that the retail price of tangerines this year has increased by 10% to 20% in comparison with last year.
Source: chinaqw.com