China’s markets offer great opportunities for Brazil to export melons. Since 2017, the total volume consumed is on average 12 million tons. In 2020 alone, the melon market in China registered a total consumption volume of 12.4 million tons.
According to a study by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), melons are is considered a common food and its main consumers are middle-income families.
Despite the melon imported from Brazil being more expensive than the one produced domestically in China, the national product is considered premium. Brazilian melons cost an average of US$5.96/kilogram versus a variation between US$1.78 and US$4.48/kilogram of the local product in the local Xinjiang province).
Data shows that Chinese consumers are looking for quality, not low pricing. The study reveals that the Chinese population is the most attentive to how products are manufactured. Only 7.8% of Chinese respondents think that “low price” is a decisive factor when buying fresh food, for example.
Source: abrafrutas.org