The Goji berry harvest season in Qinghai is already coming to an end. rainfall in the Qaidam Basin was quite excessive this year and early in the season the weather was relatively cold. The Goji berries took longer to mature as a result of these weather conditions and the overall production volume declined by 20% in Qinghai production areas. Manager Liao of Qinghai Yunjing Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. recently talked about this year's Goji berry production volume and the Goji berry export market.
"The price of Goji berries is shaped by weather conditions and the relationship between supply and demand. In some areas the production volume declined. Furthermore, some companies have been forced to halt production when it was discovered that they fumigate their Goji berries with sodium nitrite and sulfur. The overall supply volume of Goji berries declined in comparison with last year and so the price went up. The price of organic Goji berries of regular quality is around 50 yuan [7.10 USD] per 0.5 kg. The price of green Goji berries is around 33 yuan [4.69 USD] per 0.5 kg," explained manager Liao.
The red Goji berry plantation of Yunjing Agricultural Technology is located in the Qaidam Basin, northeast of the Tibetan Plateau. The annual production volume is around 400 tons. The organic Goji berries account for 80% of the production volume. The rest of the production volume consists of green Goji berries.
"The Goji berry harvest season in the Qaidam Basin begins every year in the middle of July and continues until the end of October. This year the export season began in the middle of September. We expect the export season to last until December. Our main export markets are Japan, Europe, and north America. The north American market has a stable demand for regular red Goji berries. However, the export of Goji berries to the European market has become much more difficult since European authorities tightened implementation of quarantine and inspection. The Japanese market demand for black Goji berries has been growing in recent years. Many companies expanded the surface area devoted to black Goji berry plantation. However, the cost price of black Goji berries is relatively high and the risks are great. We have therefore decided not to participate in black Goji berry trade," explained manager Liao.
"The main issue of competition in the international Goji berry trade is the strict implementation of quarantine and inspection in the European market. We have no alternative but to purchase more expensive fertilizer and raise the cost of labor and plantation management. This leads to higher prices, of course, which does not help our sales."
"Last year, while we sold dried Goji berries as usual, we also tried to promote the sale of fresh Goji berries. The price of fresh Goji berries was around 128 yuan [18.18 USD] per 0.5 kg, but the sales figures were disappointing. This is mainly because consumers are not familiar with fresh Goji berries. Furthermore, fresh Goji berries are difficult to keep. They easily spoil during transport or in the supermarket. This certainly affected the behavior of consumers. We are currently working together with Haixizhou Agricultural Technology Research Institute to extend the period that fresh Goji berries stay fresh," stated manager Liao.
Yunjing Agricultural Technology has plantations that cover an area of 200 hectares. The company has HACCP and 9000 certification, and has all the required resources for Goji berry export. In addition to Goji berries, the company also produces quinoa.
For more information:
Liao - Manager
Qinghai Yunjing Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd.
Tel.: +86 150 0253 6737
Tel.: +86 971 8224 563
E-mail: qhyj123@163.com