"China: "Low prices at the end last year affected this year's harvest"

"The Hebei pears were being harvested, stored and sent out for direct sale between July and September. In October, the cold storage delivery starts. Usually, the high season for sales are July to November. This year, the direct sales period is already finished. When we look back, we have seen a reduced export amount. At present, the export price has increased by 15% to 20% compared to last year," says Mr. Zhang from Hebei Champion Foodstuff.

"The reduction in export volumes during this season was caused by two main factors. First of all, the export price was very low at the end of the previous production season. The export volume was big, so when the new season started with direct sales, the foreign markets still had a lot of stock. Second is the rise of the export price. This has weakened the buying activity of foreign customers, so we have noticed a reduction in the amount of orders."

"Judging from the completed production volume, there was a slight increase compared to last year. The Chinese White Pear had a significantly higher production volume than last year. The Crown pears have suffered from the influence a certain disease. Even though the volume of the production has increased, the volume of finished products has dropped. Within the wide range of Hebei pear varieties, the Crown pear is most favoured on foreign markets, because the fruit is very elegant, can be stored easily and has a high sugar content."