Recently, the price of domestically produced red dragon fruit grown under supplementary lighting has fallen sharply. The current market price is only around ¥3 ($0.19) per kilogram, compared to the typical rate of ¥6 ($0.38) per kilogram, nearly a 50% drop. Industry sources attribute this decline primarily to sluggish domestic demand.
Longyisheng Dragon Fruit Base, which operates over 53 hectares of plantation and produces approximately 2 million kilograms of red dragon fruit annually, has been affected by this trend. Mr. Dong, the head of the company, explained: "Our red dragon fruit has a sugar content of 14–16%, an attractive appearance, and excellent taste. This batch of fruit grown with supplementary lighting was cultivated under artificial light in March and hit the market by mid-June, about 20 days earlier than naturally ripened fruit. The current price volatility mainly concerns this batch of supplementary light fruit and has minimal impact on the naturally ripened fruit that will be harvested later this month."
"Natural fruit won't be picked until June 30, and the yield is looking strong," Mr. Dong added. "However, due to the slow temperature recovery and limited sunlight in March and April, the yield and quality of this season's fruits grown with supplementary lighting are lower and less stable. In contrast, the fruit ripening naturally by the end of June has benefited from better climate conditions and is showing superior quality and yield."
Mr. Dong also noted a significant expansion in cultivation over the past year, but said the overall return on investment has been underwhelming. While fruits grown with supplementary lighting once enjoyed a pricing edge during the off-season, especially in winter and early spring, the rising cost of artificial lighting and an increasingly saturated market have eroded that advantage.
"In the past, fruits grown with supplementary lighting offered solid profits during the off-season, but even that is no longer the case," he remarked. "Although the timing still provides some advantages, the focus of the entire industry must now shift toward improving the quality and consistency of fruits grown with supplementary lighting."
Looking ahead, the market is preparing for a new round of supply and demand adjustments as naturally ripened dragon fruit begins to flood the market at the end of June. Industry expectations suggest that the higher yield of natural fruit may help stabilize supply, and if favorable weather conditions continue, prices could remain steady.