The sales period of apples from the last harvest season is almost over. Apple warehouses are nearly empty. The new harvest season is approaching. The blossom season is already over and apple trees are beginning to grow fruit.
Manager Hou of Baishui County Shenglong Fruit Co., Ltd. recently talked about the impact of changing weather conditions on the upcoming apple production season as well as the apple supply conditions at the end of this sales season.
"The impact of changing weather conditions on apple production in Baishui county is relatively small in comparison with Heyang and Chengxian in Shaanxi. In Baishui the volume of apples that fell from the trees because of extreme weather conditions is quite small. The overall surface area devoted to apple plantation in Baishui did not significantly expand this year. However, as a result of rainfall and frost, the production volume is expected to decline by 15% this season," explained manager Hou.
When asked about the prospects for the Chinese apple market next season, manager Hou replied: "The apple production volume severely declined in many apple production areas throughout China. We therefore expect the purchase price to be higher than in previous years when the apples enter the market because the supply volume declined. However, it is still too early for definite conclusions."
"The sales period of apples from last season is almost over. We only have a small volume of apples left in our warehouse. We temporarily stopped exporting apples in the last few months because Covid-19 spread across the globe and affected the international apple market. We shifted our attention to the domestic market. Consumer power declined as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, a wide variety of seasonal fruits entered the Chinese market in the approach to summer. Chinese market demand for apples therefore declined. The supply speed of apples from refrigerated storage is extremely slow at the moment. The current price of Luochuan red Fuji 75# is 3.2 yuan [0.45 USD] per 0.5 kg, while the price of 80# is 3.4-3.5 yuan [0.48-0.49 USD] per 0.5 kg."
"The two main apple varieties in Shaanxi production areas have always been the red Fuji apple and the Qinguan apple. However, we are working hard to promote two new apple varieties: Ruixue [Auspicious Snow] and Ruiyang [Auspicious Sun]. These two varieties have been developed and cultivated at the Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University. These varieties are well-suited to the production areas in the northwest of China, for example in Shaanxi and Gansu. The Ruixue apple is yellow. The flavor is sweet and sour. The Ruiyang variety is red and tastes sweet. Many apple production areas in Shaanxi are experimenting with these varieties, but the overall surface area devoted to the Ruixue and Ruiyang apples is still small. The production volume can only satisfy local demand in Shaanxi. We are currently working hard to promote these two varieties and give more Chinese consumers the opportunity to taste the delicious flavor of Ruixue and Ruiyang apples," said manager Hou.
For more information:
Hou - Manager
Baishui County Shenglong Fruit Co., Ltd.
Tel.: +86 9136188880