Yunnan is an advantageous production area for blueberries in China. Yunnan blueberries usually enter the peak production period in March, and then the market volume gradually increases. This year's supply situation is slightly different. Since the Spring Festival at the end of January and the beginning of February, many blueberries have been on the market intensively. From March to early April, the volume of blueberries decreased, and a large number of blueberries entered the market in mid-to-late April. Changes in supply caused corresponding market fluctuations.
"Yunnan has introduced new blueberry varieties in recent years, which are on the market earlier, and the market performance is good," Mr. Ma Hongbing (Mark Ma) from Manshi Blueberry explained.
"The situation of the classic blueberry varieties in Yunnan this season is similar to the previous years. This year, the one that went on the market early after the Spring Festival is an exclusive variety imported from Spain by individual planting bases. The new variety performs well in terms of hardness and sweetness, and the market feedback is satisfactory. This variety had been on the market last year, though the output was not large, but this year the yield has increased significantly."
According to Mark, due to the overall, relatively sluggish, fruit market after the Spring Festival, the prices of blueberries on the market at that time were not high. The price of medium fruit with a diameter of 14+ was about ￥120/box, and the price of large fruit with a diameter of 18+ was about ￥155/box. By March, the new variety was approaching the end of the production season, and the output was reduced, while the classic variety had not yet started to be produced on a big scale. This caused the market to change from "concentrated arrival" to "low stock", and the price rose.
"At that time, medium blueberries rose to ¥180-¥190/box, and large fruits rose to ¥230/box, which was half the increase from when they first on the market. Afterward, the supply of classic varieties gradually increased, and the price of blueberries dropped accordingly."
"Overall, due to the increase in the production of new varieties this year, blueberries in Yunnan went on the market earlier. In March, due to the gap between the production of classic and new varieties, the arrivals decreased. After that, a large number of classic varieties went on the market. Before April 15, the blueberry market was slightly higher than that of the same period in previous years and then remained basically the same. "
Manshi Blueberry mainly grows the "Jewel Blueberry", and has tried planting internationally authorized patented varieties, which will be launched in batches by the 2024 production season.
"Jewel Blueberry is a common planting variety in China, but it is difficult to control the hardness and taste. We have made progress by adjusting the water and fertilizer formula, which reduces the acidity, increases the hardness, and has a high proportion of large fruits. At present, we are the only company in Yunnan that directly cooperates with distributors with the "Jewel Blueberry" variety. "
The parent company of Manshi Blueberry was established in 2019, focusing on the cultivation and sales of blueberries. The existing blueberry base is around 46.66 hectares, and the family farm base is nearly 20 hectares. It is planned to expand the base to 66.66 hectares next year. The company's own brand is "Manshi Blueberry", and its cooperative customers include Hema Fresh, China Resources Vanguard, and Yonghui Superstores.