In the Chinese fruit market, most of the imported grapes come from Peru, Chile, Australia, South Africa, and the United States. "They are roughly divided into three types: green, red and black. At present, the imported grapes in the current season are mostly Peruvian green grapes and Australian seedless red grapes." said Mr. Li of Guangzhou Zhuoxiong Fruit Co., Ltd.
"Peruvian green grapes have already entered the end of their sales, but due to the backlog of containers at the terminal some time ago, this led to delayed arrivals. Therefore, the sales season of Peruvian green tea may extend to April this year. The Australian seedless red grapes have just been launched not long ago, and the sales season will start from now to June and July.
"At present, the Australian red grapes in the market are all products that arrive by air. The quantity is not large and the price is relatively high. For example, a box of 9.5-10kg red grapes is currently priced at about ￥360-￥400 per box. According to past experience, the shipping containers of Australian red grapes should now arrive in Hong Kong one after another and will enter the market in large quantities before the Qingming Festival (early April), but this has not happened so far.
"We have heard that the volume of Australian red grapes entering the Chinese market this year has decreased compared to the past. "It is understood that Australian red grapes are popular in the market due to their high sugar content, crispness and sweet taste."
Peruvian Sweet Globe green grapes (left) and South African Sable Sugrasixteen black grapes (right)
"The Australian red grape varieties currently being sold are mostly Ralli red grapes, with round fruits and a hard, sweet taste. The general sales period of this variety is about one month; after that, Crimson red grapes will take over the market. Crimson fruits are long and oval in shape, crisp and sweet in taste, and the output is greater and the sales time can be as long as several months. When the Australian red grapes arrive in large quantities and enter the peak sales season, the price will also drop.” Mr. Li said.
In addition, it is understood that the grapes from South Africa have a small arrival volume this year, and their quality and price have declined compared to the past.
In terms of market reaction, Mr. Li believes that Peruvian green grapes and Australian red grapes are relatively easy to sell. "Among them, Peruvian green grapes have a large arrival volume and a relatively cheap price. There are two types of packaging: 4.5kg and 7kg. Generally speaking, the selling situation is more satisfying."
Mr. Li also mentioned that the quality of Peruvian green grapes was obviously better last year, and the price of Peruvian green grapes has declined this year. One of the estimated reasons may be that the quality of the fruit has been depleted due to their long stay at the dockside. When it comes to the packaging, for example whether the smaller package of green grapes is more popular, Mr. Li said that buyers value quality more than packaging.
Right: Australian Crimson Seedless Red Grape
In terms of the recent sales of grapes, Mr. Li said that the recent sales were okay, especially in the past few days when the weather has been fine and warm, and the market flow has also increased accordingly. According to his expectation, the current sales situation will not change much in the next period of time until the arrival of the next peak fruit sales period, that is, the Qingming Festival (early April).
Guangzhou Zhuoxiong Fruit Co., Ltd. is a wholesaler specializing in imported grapes and domestic grapes, operating and selling in the form of wholesale market stalls. The origin of the imported grapes sold by the company includes Peru, Australia, South Africa, the United States, and South Korea. The varieties include red grapes (Crimson, Long Crimson), green grapes (Sweet Globe, Autumn Crisp Sugrathirtyfive) and black grapes (Sable Sugrasixteen).
More information:
Guangzhou Zhuoxiong Fruit Co., Ltd.
Mr. Li
Tel: +86 150 1300 8657