Mandarins from Meishan became available last month at a price higher than 1 yuan/kg. Now traders have started to order late mandarins from Meishan. Orders have been made for this year’s Chunjian and Aiyuan varieties at 9 yuan/kg, about 2 yuan/kg higher than the same period last year.
Insiders say that this year's citrus prices may rise. This is partly due to this year's overall bullish fruit market powering the late citrus sector, which can be seen from the current pricing. Additionally, this year is an off-year for the Chunjian variety and the estimated average yield per mu is about 20% lower. However, the price of Aiyuan, one of the late cross-bred citrus varieties, may not be as high as expected. Production of this variety has increased significantly this year due to larger acreages in production and improved management.
However, some growers say that although the yield of late citrus from Meishan has dropped, due to high temperatures and rainy weather, the total production remains at the same level as last year.
Source: Southern Rural News