Due to the weather, the yield of Shandong cherries has decreased this season, and the production season has been delayed. "Because of the frost earlier on, the fruit-setting rate of cherries was affected, resulting in a decrease in production. Compared with good years, this year's production is reduced by about one-third. In previous years, Shandong cherries were on the market at the end of May at the earliest. This year, they are postponed until early to mid-June, with a delay of about 10 days." Mr. Lu Lin from Yantai Xitian Farm Co., Ltd. introduced the production season of Shandong cherries.
"In the past three years, extreme weather has been more frequent, which has caused the production in recent years to be lower than before. Last season, the production was reduced due to weather, which made the price high. This season is also affected by extreme weather, and it is estimated that the price this year will be basically the same as last year. In terms of fruit, last season's cherries had problems such as cracks and a large proportion of small fruits. This season, there are fewer such problems, and the proportion of large fruits is ideal. In addition, due to the drought and lack of rain in this production season, the taste of our cherries is estimated to be sweeter than in previous years."
According to Lu, due to the increasing preference for cherries in the market, more and more areas across the country have planted them, such as Dalian, Tai'an, and Zibo, and the local planting area has gradually expanded. With the increase in cherry production areas, Shandong cherries are not as prominent as before. In addition, the harvest situation in the past three years has not been optimistic, so the planting area of Shandong cherries has not increased in recent years.
The cherries from Xitian Farm are mainly supplied to high-end markets, such as four to five-star hotels, and large-scale enterprises. The price is higher than that of cherries planted on a scattered scale. Regarding this year's high-end market, Lu expressed optimism: "First, due to the low output, the price will not be too bad this year; second, because we have a certain planting scale, although the overall production of cherries has decreased, it has little impact on our supply; third, the high-end market of cherries is optimistic this year, and it is estimated that the growth rate can reach 20%-30%."
"During the pandemic, the purchase volume of hotels and corporates dropped significantly, but since the release of the measures this year, the market flow has accelerated, and the demand in the high-end market has increased. The apples we produce are also supplied to the high-end market. Since the end of last year, the purchase volume of apples has increased by 20%, so I estimate that the market growth of cherries should not be a problem. "
Yantai Xitian Farm Co., Ltd. takes "Xitian Farm" as its brand. It mainly deals in Yantai cherries and apples, and has its own orchard of around 13 hectares. The company focuses on high-end markets such as five-star hotels and large-scale corporate procurement, and its customer areas cover Beijing, Qingdao, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou.