Fuping county in Weinan City in Shaanxi is located on the plateau north of the river Wei. This is one of the most famous persimmon production areas in the world. The natural environment in Fuping county is extremely well-suited for persimmon plantation. The landscape is full of hills, the temperature difference between day and night is huge, and sunshine is abundant.
The persimmons produced in Fuping are among the best in the world. After years of development, the overall surface area devoted to persimmon plantation in Fuping now exceeds 6,667 hectares. The persimmon drying season begins every year in late October and continues for 45 days. The process is usually finished sometime in the middle of December. The dried persimmon then enter the Chinese market. The supply season lasts until Chinese Spring Festival [12 February, 2021]. The peak sales period lasts around 50 days.
Mr. Wang Lei visits the persimmon drying halls in Fuping county
"The new persimmon season has already started in Fuping county. The overall production volume seems to be at the same level as last year. We have just begun drying the persimmon, which still takes more than one month to finish. The volume of dried persimmon depends on weather conditions. If the weather is not good, for example when it rains or remains overcast, then the production volume suffers. One thing that is clear already is the size of the persimmons. They are rather large this year." This is according to Mr. Wang Lei of Fuping County Shuoguo Xuan Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.
Dried persimmon from Fuping county
The Chinese fruit market looks much better in the second half of 2020 than in the first half, as markets slowly resume regular trading operations. The price of persimmon is likely to be somewhat higher than around this time last year, unless unexpected conditions occur. However, the market is changeable this year, so the actual conditions are still difficult to predict. It is too early to tell.
Dried persimmon from Fuping county
"We sell our Fuping persimmon via e-commerce platforms, wholesale markets, and supermarkets, but most of our sales happen on e-commerce platforms. The sales period of our persimmon is somewhat shorter than the sales period of other persimmon varieties. We have many different retail channels, but most of them are domestic. We only export a small volume of our persimmon. The main reason for this division is the perishable nature of the fruit, which is not suitable for long distance transport. Temperature has a huge impact on the product quality of persimmon. When the temperature is slightly too high, the fruit spoils," explained Mr. Wang.
Dried persimmon from Fuping county
The government of Fuping county greatly supported the development of the persimmon industry in the last two years and these favorable policies helped the industry grow. The production volume of Fuping persimmon is expected to expand in the next few years. At the same time, relevant departments work hard to educate the consumer audience how to effectively recognize their superior quality. This helps build a strong regional brand.
At the moment, Fuping persimmon are slightly more expensive than persimmon from other production areas. As a result, some traders pass off other fruits as Fuping persimmon, especially on e-commerce platforms. That is why consumers need to be educated in recognizing genuine Fuping persimmon.
For more information:
Mr. Wang Lei
Fuping County Shuoguo Xuan Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.
Tel.: +86 150 6233 9393
E-mail: 304191409@qq.com