Imported cherries have already left the Chinese market, and domestic large cherries have begun to enter the market in large volumes. The large cherries are purple red and even-sized, but in both appearance and flavor the domestic cherries are unable to compete with imported cherries. The main supply of domestic cherries in the Beijing Xinfadi Market comes from production areas in Dalian, Liaoning, as well as Yantai and Weifang, Shandong. Dalian supplies around 90% of the cherries currently in the market. The average price is 50-70 yuan [7.45-10.43 USD] per 0.5 kg with top-quality cherries selling for as much as 90 yuan [13.41 USD] per 0.5 kg.
"These prices are even higher than imported cherries," said Liu Wenpo, the cherry king of Xinfadi. Imported cherries enter the Beijing market every year in early November and remain in the market until February in the subsequent year. Their price is around 40-60 yuan [5.96-8.94 USD] per 0.5 kg. Furthermore, the product quality of imported cherries is stable, and both color and flavor are excellent. The only advantage of domestic cherries is that they are fresh. Most imported cherries are shipped to China and it can take as long as 30 days between harvest and retail.
Source: Beijing News