"The export of bayberries has resumed after the pandemic. We exported to the United Arab Emirates and Italy in June, and will export another batch to Italy this week. The bayberry is exported by air. If they are harvested and packed today, they will arrive the day after tomorrow."
Wencheng Liyang Hongfenglin Agricultural Planting Professional Cooperative is mainly engaged in the planting and sales of bayberry in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. Mr. Zhou Zuorong, the head of the cooperative, talked about the current export situation of bayberry.
Bayberry planting base
"Zhejiang bayberry production season is from June to July. The export varieties include Dongkui and Biji. Because Dongkui is more popular in the market due to its larger size, it accounts for a larger proportion of exports. Before the pandemic, we mainly exported to Canada and the United Arab Emirates. This year, the export volume has increased compared with the past, and the export price has increased by about 20%."
"At present, the export is relatively slow. The main reason is that the number of domestic farmers and merchants who plant and sell red bayberries has increased significantly compared with the past, resulting in excess production, which makes both domestic sales and exports unsatisfactory.
"Secondly, Zhejiang red bayberries are on the market late, and those in Yunnan and Fujian have been on the market and exported earlier, occupying part of the market in advance. Moreover, red bayberry needs to be exported by air, and the price of fruit in overseas markets is relatively high, and the market’s purchasing power is limited.”
According to Zhou, overseas customers mostly adopt the method of pre-sale, and then order new batches when the sales are about to be sold out.
In terms of domestic sales, it is understood that compared with last year's extreme weather, the weather in this year's production area is better, the yield and quality are quite satisfactory, and the price of high-quality fruit is roughly the same as before. However, the market reaction is not positive, and the sales are slow. Zhou believes that the overproduction and oversupply in the bayberry market are the main reasons.
"Bayberry has a short production season, a high degree of market attention, and fast sales. It is a category of fruit that can quickly produce economic benefits, so it has attracted many farmers to join in planting, especially after seeing the economic benefits of Xianju bayberry. The overall planting is too much, and the weather is good this year, resulting in excess production and slow sales. "
The Cooperative has the bayberry brand, “Baiwanshan". The cooperative has 320 mu, around 21 hectares of bayberry orchards, and has built cold storage and processing plants. In addition to domestic sales, it is also exported to Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and other places.