With the Chinese Lantern Festival approaching this Wednesday, many traders of seasonal fruits observed an acceleration in sales. The festival has contributed to a boost in the market, and prices for some fruits, including cherries and nectarines, have risen due to limited arrivals.
Chilean cherry prices rebounded on Tuesday. Traders noted that as the production season nears its end, market inventory is gradually decreasing, leading to a price increase compared to last week. Prices vary depending on brand and quality. For instance, Regina 2.5kg J-grade packages, previously sold at approximately ￥70-￥80 per box, are now priced at ￥100 per box. Similarly, Regina's 2-in-1 2J specification, which was below ￥200 last week, is currently selling for around ￥230-￥240 per box.
Left: Australia Crimson grapes; Right: Chilean plums
Meanwhile, Chilean air-shipped plum arrivals have significantly increased. The current price for a small box of 2J-grade plums is around ￥180-￥200 per box. Traders noted that these prices are in line with previous trends, especially for premium brands. Some also observed that the quality of current arrivals is superior to last year.
The supply of Chilean nectarines has declined this week, leading to a simultaneous reduction in container openings. As a result, prices have surged by approximately 20% compared to last week, and traders anticipate further increases.
Egyptian grapefruit prices also rose in the latter half of the week due to a decrease in arrivals.
Left: Peruvian green grapes; Right: American navel oranges
Australian Crimson seedless red grapes have entered the market, albeit in limited volumes. Traders reported that while the quality of Crimson grapes is high, overall market sluggishness has resulted in prices being about 20%-25% lower than in previous years. Due to low arrival volumes, only a few traders are currently engaged in sales. Meanwhile, Peruvian green grape prices dipped slightly in the latter half of the week compared to pre-Lantern Festival levels. However, high-end newly arrived brands are commanding higher prices due to their superior quality. Traders expect the arrival of Australian seaborne grapes to impact grape prices next week.
Left: Chilean avocados; Right: Chilean nectarines
American navel orange arrivals remain limited, with prices significantly higher than in previous years, around ￥500 per box. Sales have been slow, with traders attributing high prices to tariffs and a restricted supply of American navel orange brands in the Chinese market. However, the brands that have arrived are of high quality, keeping prices firm. Traders also noted that smaller and medium-sized fruits are preferred by retail terminals and e-commerce platforms due to their lower retail price points, whereas local wholesale markets favor larger sizes.
Currently, Peruvian and Chilean avocados are in a transitional phase, with both varieties available in limited quantities. This scarcity has driven overall prices higher. Chilean avocados are currently priced at around ￥140-￥170 per box, while Peruvian avocados are selling for approximately ￥140 per box.
Left: Chinese blueberries; Right: Egyptian grapefruits
Chinese blueberry arrivals continue to increase, causing a further price drop compared to last week. Well-bloomed and flavorful batches of 18mm+ blueberries are selling for approximately ￥120-￥130 per box, about 20% lower than last week, while 22mm+ blueberries are priced at around ￥150 per box. The market is primarily dominated by 18mm+ and 22mm+ specifications, but many buyers are actively seeking medium-sized 14-15mm+ fruit. Traders mentioned that due to significant investments in blueberry farms in Yunnan, market supply has increased notably compared to previous years.