The amount of imported fruit in the Jimo County Agricultural By-product Trade Center, Qingdao, is overwhelming. The fruit trade is in one of the busiest times of the year in the weeks leading up to Chinese Spring Festival [February 5th, 2019]. The assortment includes Chilean cherries, New Zealand blueberries, and Vietnamese durian. The most popular fruit of them all, however, is the cherry. The wholesale price ranges between 30 yuan and 50 yuan [4.48-7.46 USD] per 0.5 kg depending on the product quality and size. The price is slightly lower than it was around this time last year.
The client manager of the trade center explained that the lower price of cherries is inseparable from the production volume and the transport method. The price of cherries begins to fall when market supply changes from air freight to shipping by sea. In addition, Chilean cherries enjoyed an abundant harvest this year, and the price of cherries fell as a result of increased production volume. As the import volume of cherries grows, the price is likely to fall even further.
And it's not only imported fruit that's popular in the trade center. Consumers also purchase large volumes of Shatang tangerines from Guangxi and Guangdong. One trader explained that Shatang tangerines also enjoyed an abundant harvest this year. The wholesale price is around 2-4 yuan [0.30-0.60 USD] per 0.5 kg, which is a decrease of 30% in comparison with the same period last year.
Source: bandao.cn