Garlic shoots are harvested when the garlic stems are pulled out. The garlic shoots are a common dish for many people in China. Furthermore, the garlic shoots have anti-carcinogenic and rejuvenating properties, which make them very popular with Chinese consumers. Garlic shoot production areas are widely distributed throughout China in both the north and the south. It is one of the most stored vegetables in terms of storage volume and storage time. President Zhang of the Weifang Fruit Association recently talked about the harvest and retail conditions of Chinese garlic shoots this season.
President Zhang first talked about the harvest time of garlic shoots. "The harvest times of garlic shoots depend on the production area. In the south the harvest generally takes place between April and May, but in the north the harvest starts somewhat later in May and June. However, in every production area there are only about 3-5 days when the condition of garlic shoots is ideal. The garlic shoots harvested within 3 days of the ideal harvesting time are quite good, while those harvested 1-2 days later already grow too long and their texture is too tough. When the older garlic shoots are placed in storage, their product quality quickly declines."
"Data shows that China stored around 87,500 kg of garlic shoots in 2021, including 27,500 kg of white garlic shoots and 60,000 kg of red garlic shoots. Jinxiang, one of the most important garlic production areas, stored around 16,500 kg and Lanling around 18,500 kg. The overall storage volume this year increased in comparison with last year, but only by around 3%-4%. The purchase price is also higher than last year. Garlic shoot traders face a difficult market this year and would be wise to assess actual conditions and sell on time to reduce the cost that comes with risks."
The product quality of garlic shoots in storage is the main factor in the price of garlic shoots. Cold storage helps to maintain the freshness of garlic shoots and can add to the product value of garlic shoots. "Pre-cooling is a good way to help garlic shoots take the most advantage of cold storage. And farmers often soak the garlic shoots in preservative, milk-like liquid. The active element in this preservative is prochloraz. The preservative is applied before the garlic shoots enter storage, or during the pre-cooling process. The tips of garlic shoots are dipped in the preservative, or the preservative is applied as a spray. The preservative is then allowed to dry before the garlic shoots are packaged. The preservative restricts fungal growth and keeps the garlic shoots looking green and fresh," said president Zhang.
"Where there is demand, there is a market. Many lawbreakers eye this market. They sell 'unlicensed' preservatives, but these products are very unsafe. Using unlicensed preservatives can cause a farmer incalculable damage. Furthermore, the residue of unlicensed preservatives can exceed standards and damage the food safety of garlic shoots."
"Distribution networks between north and south China are still recovering and the general market condition is not ideal this year, so we urge large-scale traders to keep a close eye on the conditions in storage and carefully maintain product quality to reduce the financial cost of taking risks," said president Zhang.
For more information:
President Zhang
Weifang Fruit Association
Tel.: +86 18396895915