The Southeast Asian fruit import market continues to expand year on year. Chinese suppliers play a vital role in meeting the demand for various fruits. One such supplier, based in Chongqing, China, focuses on growing lemons and grapes. With its own orchards located in Sichuan and Yunnan, the company has established itself as a year-round fruit packer and exporter.
Sichuan Mengtaiyuan Trading cultivates lemons and grapes in their orchards located in Sichuan and Yunnan. The fruits are sold under the company’s Montale brand. Currently, the company's main focus is on grapes, particularly Red Globe and Shine Muscat varieties. However, lemons are available almost year-round, ensuring a consistent supply to customers.
Nicole Yang is responsible for international sales. “We grow lemons and grapes and purchase these fruits from other suppliers. Our main markets include Southeast Asia and select countries in the Middle East. Although the Middle East market is relatively smaller compared to Southeast Asia, we are witnessing a growing demand for our products, especially in countries like India,” she introduces.
The company’s grape offering consists of Red grapes, Crimson grapes and Shine muscat grapes.
The Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the global fruit market. For this Chinese supplier, the pandemic presented challenges, particularly in terms of logistics and distribution. However, for Sichuan Mengtaiyuan it also brought positive changes. Lemon sales experienced a surge during this period, with the company's Nanfei lemons gaining popularity. Additionally, Southeast Asia began importing Chinese lemons, opening up new opportunities for the company.
Weather Conditions and Supply
Temperatures in China have been extremely high in recent days and weeks. Weather conditions significantly impact fruit production and taste, and this Chinese supplier has had to navigate various challenges.
The year in review saw high grape prices due to decreased output on the market. Output was affected by hot weather, although grapes are relatively resilient to temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius. The temperature in Yunnan makes it an ideal region for grape cultivation. The company has also managed to mitigate water-related problems in their regions, ensuring a steady supply of quality fruits.
Nicole continues: “This year’s size and brix are similar to last seasons. Sizes are around 22~28 mm, and brix hovers around >17% degrees, same as last year. Most of our customers care about prizing, which has to be competitive. We do see that Indian customers also look at the size of the grapes. Customers rarely care about the color pallet of the grapes. We take pride in using our own Montale brand. This allows us to establish a unique identity and build customer loyalty. With a focus on year-round supply, they aim to meet the market's demands consistently. We want to grow into a diverse fresh fruit supplier, and recently we have added fresh mandarins and mangoes to our product portfolio, alongside lemons and grapes.
The company also markets a range of fruit-flavored waters across China with grape and lemons flavors under the Easylife Soda Water brand.
Looking ahead, Sichuan Mengtaiyuan Trading anticipates growth in its business. The company will attend Asia Fruit Logistica in September in Hong Kong.
For more information:
Nicole Yang
Sichuan Mengtaiyuan Trading Co., Ltd.
Tel#/Wechat: +86 17092843433
Whatsapp/Facebook: +86 15320863325
Email: nicole@montale.com.cn