The Mid-Autumn Festival [10 September, 2022] is almost upon us. A large variety of seasonal fruits enters the Chinese market around this time of the year. Mid-Autumn Festival is two weeks earlier than last year, and so the sales of seasonal fruits have started earlier as well. One of the must-have fruits during the festive season is the persimmon. Mr. Liu Jingdong of Shenzhen Jintaihua Agricultural Produce Co., Ltd. recently talked about current conditions in the persimmon market.
"Persimmons enter the market in August and the peak period of the sales season usually falls in September. The supply season continues until late December. This year the Mid-Autumn Festival takes place earlier than usual, so the peak period of the persimmon sales season has not yet begun. The overall delivery volume is smaller than in previous years and demand is strong. That is why the price increased by around 15%."
When talking about current trends in the persimmon market, Mr. Liu explained: "The delivery volume is small at the moment, so product movement is not as good as in previous years. That is also because the general economic environment is weak. Consumer demand is not very strong. It is too early to tell how the market will develop. We expect the supply volume of persimmon to expand significantly in another week, but the production volume and flavor will be at their peak in October. The price will then stabilize. We expect the price this year to reach slightly higher levels than last year." Mr. Liu also added that the recent heatwave complicated persimmon storage as the fruit easily spoils.
Shenzhen Jintaihua Agricultural Produce primarily grows 'completely sweet persimmon'. According to Mr. Liu, this persimmon variety is grown at high altitudes. The persimmons benefit from the micro-climate at high altitudes. This year the ripening period began 20 days earlier than last year. The sugar content is ideal. The early harvest has been packed and delivered to the market just in time for Mid-Autumn Festival. The only disadvantage is that the 'completely sweet persimmons' are relatively small this year. Regular persimmons weigh up to 250 grams. The 'completely sweet persimmon' variety weighs around 150 grams.
"The ripening period began early and the average BRIX value is already at 13+. However, the season is still early, so the production volume and flavor are not yet ideal. That is the main problem for most season fruits during this Mid-Autumn Festival period."
"Traditional persimmon varieties are somewhat tart. Sweet persimmon varieties are relatively new in the market, so traders are promoting this variety. The overall surface area devoted to sweet persimmon plantation is gradually expanding and the production volume grows every year. Some farmers are also improving traditional persimmon varieties to create sweeter fruit. The 'completely sweet persimmon' variety ripens naturally on the tree. The fruit is sweet and fragrant, without the slightest trace of tartness. This variety is steadily opening up new markets as more and more consumers become familiar with this sweet persimmon. One could say that the 'completely sweet persimmon' is trending."
Out of all the sweet persimmon varieties, Mr. Liu mentioned the 'great autumn' persimmon, which was introduced from Japan. The first 'great autumn' persimmons are slowly entering the Chinese market. The flavor of that variety is exquisite, but the fruit peel is coarse and dull. It remains to be seen whether this variety can be successfully promoted in the Chinese market.
Shenzhen Jintaihua Agricultural Produce has been active in the persimmon market for 16 years. The company has its own brand: 'rich persimmon'.
"There is a demand for gift boxes of premium fruit during the period leading up to Mid-Autumn Festival. Consumers pay more attention to the way the packaging looks, so we focus on festive packaging designs during this time of the year." The 'rich persimmon' are packed in exquisite boxes with the brand name 'rich persimmon' prominently featured. In addition to persimmon, Jintaihua Agricultural Produce manages the wholesale of a large variety of imported and premium domestic fruits.
For more information:
Mr. Liu Jingdong - CEO
Shenzhen Jintaihua Agricultural Produce Co., Ltd.
Tel.: +86 134 8074 9683
Tel.: +86 189 3867 5756
E-mail: liujle216@foxmail.com