Xiaobai apricots from Xinjiang, China, have been available since late May, with the production season lasting about a month. The second week of June is the peak time for these apricots to be abundant and at their best in flavor.
Ms. Wang Jinggai, head of the Aksu Jianglinyuan Agricultural Professional Cooperative, has been busy packing and shipping Xiaobai apricots in Luntai, Xinjiang. It is reported that due to weather conditions, this year's output is about 30% lower than last year, and the Brix is also lower. "Frequent rainfall during the ripening period affected the sugar accumulation and coloring of the fruits. Compared to last year's purely sweet taste, this year's Xiaobai apricots are relatively sour, with some fruits remaining green," explained Ms. Wang.
"The price at the origin has dropped rapidly, decreasing by about 20% within 3-5 days after launching. Aside from the general market conditions, the heavy rainfall has shortened the storage period of Xiaobai apricots, contributing to the price drop. To mitigate losses, we focus on controlling ripeness during harvesting, with sales channels primarily through live streams and community group purchases for quicker sales." Ms. Wang mentioned that they are reducing the amount of Xiaobai apricots sent to the wholesale market this season.
In addition to Xiaobai apricots, another Xinjiang specialty, red apricots, will begin their production season around June 20 and will last for about two months. The main production areas for red apricots are Yili and Aksu.
Ms. Wang also has her own red apricot orchard in Aksu. She noted that thanks to favorable weather, the apricots are growing well. "The red apricots in our orchard are large, and we estimate a harvest of 300 tons. The quality of the fruits this season looks ideal." Due to the large output and better storability, the volume of red apricots sent to the wholesale market is expected to increase.
"Xinjiang's Xiaobai apricots recently participated in a specialty agricultural product exhibition in Hong Kong, China, receiving excellent feedback and opening up new channels. We have sent Xiaobai apricots, Hami melons, and other specialty Xinjiang fruits to the Hong Kong market and will continue to do so."
Jianglinyuan mainly sells a variety of fruits from Xinjiang, including apricots, plums, apples, and Hami melons. Their sales channels include live streams, e-commerce, community group purchases, and wholesale markets.
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Wang Jinggai