The retail season of early-season kiwi fruit from production areas in Shaanxi began two months ago, and now is the time for the mid-season and late-season varieties to enter the market. Manager Yang of Shaanxi Pengshengda Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., recently shared his views on the market conditions.
"Shaanxi is one of the major kiwi fruit production areas in China. Mei county is located in the foothills north of the Qinling mountains. This area is commonly regarded as the optimum area for the production of kiwi fruit. The geographical location and the weather conditions are all perfectly suitable for the growth of green kiwi fruit. The main product varieties cultivated in this area are the late-season Hayward kiwi fruit, and the Xuxiang kiwi fruit which is sweet with a slight hint of sour. The harvest season of the mid-season Xuxiang varieties begins around August 25th. The freshly harvested kiwi fruit undergo selection and processing before they make their way to the market."
"After October 5th, most of the freshly harvested kiwi fruit enters refrigerated storage in order to extend the retail season of kiwi fruit. The retail season of kiwi fruit from refrigerated storage continues until April in the subsequent year. The harvest season of Hayward kiwi fruit varieties in Mei county production areas begins one month later than the harvest season of Xuxiang varieties. The harvest season of Hayward kiwi fruit begins in the last week of October and the retail season continues until May in the subsequent year," explained manager Yang.
"As for the production volume, the kiwi fruit production areas in Shaanxi did not suffer from extreme weather conditions and other natural disasters this year. The overall production volume therefore expanded by around 20% in comparison with last year. However, the product quality suffered from the impact of rainy weather during the pollination season. The difference in size and appearance of the kiwi fruit is quite large this year. However, the flavor of kiwi fruit and other aspects generally included under 'product quality' are all better than last year. As for the price, the purchase price of Xuxiang kiwi fruit is around 3 yuan [0.42 USD] per 0.5 kg. Hayward kiwi fruit have not yet entered the market in large volumes. Their purchase price is around 2.5-3 yuan [0.35-0.42 USD] per 0.5 kg. In general, this year's price is more or less on the same level as last year. We expect the price to slightly drop later in the season."
Manager Yang also mentioned the distribution of kiwi fruit production areas across China as well as the current conditions of the kiwi fruit market, "The weather conditions in the foothills north of the Qinling mountains are more suitable for the production of green kiwi fruit, while farmers in the foothills south of the Qinling mountains mostly concentrate on the production of red and yellow kiwi fruit. The red and yellow kiwi fruit varieties are mostly sold in south and east China. The shelf life of green kiwi fruit is longer and the retail volume is in balance across the country. The price-quality ratio is relatively high and the green kiwi fruit remains popular with consumers."
The kiwi fruit orchards of Pengshengda Agricultural Development are located in Mei county, Shaanxi. The company has 2 automated selection lines and refrigerated storage facilities with a capacity of 7 thousand tons. The company has an annual retail volume of around 10 thousand tons. The main retail channels include domestic wholesale markets, large-scale supermarkets, and e-commerce platforms, as well as direct sales from storage. "We currently focus on the domestic market, but we also have the ambition and the ability to export our kiwi fruit abroad. Chinese kiwi fruit is becoming better known in overseas markets and we hope to delight even more overseas consumers with the delicious flavor of Mei county kiwi fruit."
For more information:
Yan - Assistant manager
Shaanxi Pengshengda Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.
Tel.: +86 15353033558