The Chinese market price of muskmelons recently showed a downward trend. There are several reasons for this development. First, there is a wide diversity of melon varieties for sale and the overall supply volume is huge. The varieties currently on the market include Hualei, Lubao, Cuihong, Jingtian, Bai Tiangua, Yang Jue Cui, and Boli muskmelons. The melons are produced in Shandong, Hebei, and Henan. The diversity of muskmelon varieties and the size of the overall supply volume both put pressure on the market price of muskmelons.
Second, the muskmelons compete with a wide variety of seasonal fruits. Many seasonal fruits enter the market in large volumes during the summer, such as watermelons, grapes, and peaches. All of them compete with each other, and the market share of muskmelons grows smaller because of this. Watermelons in particular put enormous pressure on the price of muskmelons.
Watermelons are refreshing during the scorching summer days. Iced watermelon is particularly popular with Chinese consumers. Although the "melon-eating public" grows during the summer, they collectively chose watermelons over muskmelons. In addition, the supply volume of peaches also grows in the summer. There are many peach varieties for sale and their prices are quite reasonable, which is why consumers prefer peaches over muskmelons. In other words, when seasonal fruits enter the market, the market share of muskmelons shrinks and the price drops.
Source: moa.gov.cn
