"Most of the Chinese lemons currently on the export market come from Anyue in Sichuan. The sales season of Anyue lemons begins every year in September. Traders stock their warehouses with lemons in December. Although the domestic market has been bleak since the outbreak of COVID-19, the overseas market has been quite strong in the last few weeks." This is according to Mr. Zhang Shuhan of Jining Greenstream Fruits & vegetables Co., Ltd
When asked about the reasons for this positive development in the export market, manager Zhang replied: "First, the lemons from South Africa and Argentine are now entering the market. However, their harvest volume is relatively small, which means their price is almost twice as high as the price of Chinese lemons. Their price is around 1,300-1,400 USD per ton. Second, the lemons are still quite sour when they just enter the market. Chinese lemons are already in the middle of their production season and their flavor is more mature. The product quality is better. Chinese lemons therefore receive more attention from overseas importers. We have a weekly export volume of around 10 shipping containers."
"As for the price, the average lemon price in Anyue production areas is currently around 1 yuan [0.14 USD] per 0.5 kg. The FOB-price is around 600-750 USD per ton, which is 30% lower than around this time last year. The main reason for the price decline is the abundant harvest this year. The overall production volume was almost twice the size of the production volume last year. The outbreak of COVID-19 did impede distribution. Many lemon traders still have more than half their stock left. Market supply is larger than market demand, which is why the price is falling."
When asked about market developments in the last few weeks, Mr. Zhang replied: "We expect to continue exporting large volumes of lemons until the middle of April. The export season is limited by the shelf-life of lemons. Chinese lemons are already approaching the final stage of the season. After the middle of April we only export our lemons to Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines to guarantee the product quality of our lemons upon arrival. The journey to these markets is much shorter than other overseas markets."
Apart from lemons, Greenstream Fruits & Vegetables also exports pomelo, fresh ginger, and garlic. The company has an annual export volume of around 2,000 shipping containers.
For more information:
Zhang Shuhan - Manager
Jining Greenstream Fruits & Vegetables Co., Ltd.
E-mail: info@greenstream.cn