The arrival by sea of large volumes of Chilean cherries signaled the gradual fall of the average price as we enter peak sales in the first quarter of the new year. Chilean cherries enjoyed an abundant harvest this season. As the production volume grows, the price drops. The current wholesale price of Chilean cherries is 10% lower than last year around the same time. The arrival of large volumes of Chilean cherries shipped by sea puts further pressure on the price. Furthermore, the freshness of cherries shipped by sea is not as good as the cherries previously flown in, but technological innovation in distribution means that the difference in fragrance, size, and flavor is not that great.
More and more importers choose shipping by sea now that Chilean cherries begin to enter the market in bulk. Cherries from Australia and New Zealand also start to appear on the market in small volumes. Their price, however, is almost twice that of Chilean cherries, which makes them difficult to sell. Australia and New Zealand currently supply about 20% of the cherry market in China.
Cherries from Australia and New Zealand exceed Chilean cherries in fragrance, size, and flavor, but some production areas will near the end of their supply season before Chinese Spring Festival. Looking at the current trend in the cherry market, people in the industry predicts that the price around Spring Festival will not be as high as it was last year.
Source: Jiangnan Evening News