Kiwi fruit originated in China. And in recent years the Chinese kiwi fruit industry has rapidly grown. Kiwi fruit plantations are widely distributed and they produce many different kiwi fruit varieties.
Shiping in Yunnan is an important kiwi fruit production area. The kiwi fruit from Shiping enters the Chinese market earlier than kiwi fruit from most other production areas. This offers kiwi fruit suppliers from Shiping an excellent commercial opportunity. This year the domestic kiwi fruit season officially begins in Shiping in early July.
Shiping has many advantages. First, the production season lasts longer than in other regions and the vines bear fruit earlier. Shiping county is located in the highlands of Yunnan and enjoys a subtropical climate that is ideal for the cultivation of red heart kiwi fruit. The weather conditions in Shiping are so ideal that the kiwi fruit there grows much faster than in Sichuan or Shaanxi. Second, the kiwi fruit in Shiping ripens nearly two months before the kiwi fruit from other production areas.
Due to the unique geographical conditions in Shiping, the kiwi fruit vines are productive for all but 2 months of the year. In other areas the vines take about 4 months to recover from the production season. Third, the kiwi fruit from Shiping requires less time in storage because the production season begins early and lasts longer. The vines are only dormant for 2 months, which means that the kiwi fruit has 2 additional months on the vine. Farmers can harvest the kiwi fruit when the market conditions are right, and leave the kiwi fruit on the vine when the conditions are poor, without incurring storage cost. This gives them a great competitive advantage.
"We have kiwi fruit plantations in Shiping that cover an area of 1,267 hectares. This includes our own plantation of around 133 hectares, and roughly 1,133 hectares of coop plantations. We cultivate red heart and yellow heart kiwi fruit. This year the kiwi fruit from Shiping will enter the Chinese market in early July. That is relatively early compared to last year. We expect the supply season to last until November. The production volume during the peak period of this season is expected to increase 1.5 times in comparison with last year." This is according to Tang Rao of Shiping County Zhuoyi Agricultural Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd.
Tang Rao further explained, "We mainly target high-end markets. we have our own brand 'Yunnan Monkey King Li Gang'. We mainly sell our kiwi fruit in first- and second-tier cities throughout the country. We have an excellent retail track record in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. This season we are also expanding into Hubei, Hunan, and Zhengzhou. Steady brand development is our goal. Despite the growth of our production volume, we will not adjust our price much. We aim to deliver stable product quality at a stable price. We supply traditional markets and e-commerce platforms as well."
Kiwi fruit from Shiping in Yunnan will enter the Chinese market 45 days earlier than other domestic kiwi fruit. The fruit also tastes better. The sugar content of red heart kiwi fruit is between 18-28 percent, and the sugar content of yellow heart kiwi fruit is between 16-24 percent.
For more information:
Tang Rao
Shiping County Zhuoyi Agricultural Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd.
Website: http://www.ynmht.com
Tel.: +86 153 3145 9845