The harvest season has begun in Chinese pineapple production areas. Although many fruits face sales difficulties in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, the pineapple market is still quite alright. The current market demand for pineapples is high and distribution is smooth.
Mr. Wu Qicong of Tiandiren recently shared his view on the current conditions in the Chinese pineapple market. When asked about his view on the differences between the pineapple production seasons in Hainan and Taiwan, Mr. Wu replied, "The supply period of Taiwanese pineapples and Hainanese pineapples is the same. They both begin in late November and continue until May in the subsequent year. The harvest volume in Taiwan is still quite small this early in the season, and the harvest volume in Hainan is relatively large. As for product quality, the pineapples from the south of Hainan are better than Taiwanese pineapples. The market prices also reflect that difference."
This is the first year that Tiandiren has sold Taiwanese pineapples. According to Mr. Wu, "The geographical differences between Taiwan and Hainan mean that Hainan can begin harvesting pineapples about 15 days earlier than Taiwan. Their product quality is more stable than the quality of Taiwanese pineapples. Hainan also invests more resources in marketing and branding."
The Tiandiren team originally began planting bananas. "In 2017 we started planting Jinzuan pineapples. We then established cooperation with the Hainan Province Agricultural Cultivation Unit in 2018. We slowly expanded the surface area devoted to pineapple plantation. As for our pineapple brand, we have quite a stable market share for an up-and coming pineapple brand. In 2019 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Tiandiren. In that year we also started cooperating with Taiwanese Jinzuan pineapple plantations. Furthermore, we entered the market in order to develop and increase our sales. Taiwanese pineapples entered the Chinese market in 2010 and have always been market leaders, until Tiandiren took over that position in 2019."
"Chinese market demand for pineapples grows by 27% per year. The delivery volume reached 5 million shipping containers in 2019 when Tiandiren delivered 1.1 million shipping containers.
Tiandiren is one of the most popular brands in the market. The main advantage of Hainanese pineapples comes from the geographic position of Hainan Island. The price of Taiwanese pineapples is likely to remain stable in the coming month. In the end, looking at the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and the specifics of the pineapple market, Hainanese pineapples still maintain an advantage over Taiwanese pineapples. The market suffered from the outbreak of the corona virus, but our brand remains strong and we have been able to maintain steady supply."
When asked about the future of Tiandiren, Mr. Wu replied, "In the next 5 years, Tiandiren hopes to establish a pineapple association that unites pineapple plantations in Hainan and provides assistance for the development of the pineapple industry. We also hope to increase the supply of Taiwanese pineapples and Philippine pineapples to grow our market share. This year we prepared nationwide brand-building activities and we marketed Taiwanese pineapple cutting machines as well as pineapple-flavored lipstick. We hope to make our brand more visible in the Chinese market. In addition, our online sales rapidly increased this year. We are cooperating with Miss Fresh, Ding Dong Maicai, and Suning.com."
For more information:
Mr. Wu Qicong - Group Vice-chairman and Head of Operations
Hainan Tiandiren Ecological Management (Group) Co., Ltd.
Tel.: +86 898 6850 5055
Mobile: +86 188 8926 1650
E-mail: sunwu@tiandirenfarm.com
Website: www.tiandirenfarm.com