According to the Foreign Agricultural Service of the United States Department of Agriculture’s report on China’s stone fruit market, issued on July 1, 2021, China will produce 600,000 tons of cherries in the 2021/22 season (April-March), i.e. 15% more than in the previous season.
Shandong, China’s main cherry-producing province – which produces almost half of the country’s cherry-, is expected to continue increasing its production over the next 3-5 years as new plantations bear fruit. There has also been an increase in cherry tree plantations in the western and southwestern provinces in recent years.
The area cultivated with cherries is estimated at 163,000 hectares in 2021/22, i.e. 3% more than in the 2020/21 campaign. The USDA document highlights that cherries continue to be the most profitable fruit in China.
Prices
The report states that the price of cherries in China has decreased in recent years due to the increases in production, in general. According to Shandong cherry producers, the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 caused cherry prices to hit record lows as wholesale markets were closed and restrictions on road transport prevented urban wholesalers from sourcing cherries directly from the production areas. As a consequence, farmers had to sell their cherries to local traders at lower prices.
Cherry prices in Shandong are lower this year than last year. For example, at Yantian, the Beaty Early cherries, a popular and widely planted variety in China, is currently being sold for $ 2.50-4.60 per kilo on the local wholesale market.
The prices of greenhouse cherries also fell due to the increase in production, although they are still much higher than the rest of the cherries. In February 2021, greenhouse cherries were priced at $92.50 per kilo in retail stores.
Imports
According to the document, imports are expected to decrease this season 2021-2022 (April to March) by 11% to 300,000 tons, due to the reduction in shipments from Chile, which supplies more than 90% of the cherries that China imports.
The USDA report highlights that Chilean cherry exports to China increased by 55% during the 2020/21 season due to an excellent harvest. However, according to the document, Chilean exports would fall due to a greater demand for requirements in the framework of the pandemic, which would make them prioritize premium fruit.
Source: simfruit.cl