The new season of Australian nectarines arrived in the Chinese market in early November, about 7-10 days earlier than in previous years. It is understood that the Australian production area is hot and dry this year with little rain, which is conducive to nectarine cultivation. "The current arrivals are early-ripening varieties. Because the temperature was not high, there were more small-sized fruits. The weather will obviously improve in the later period, so the number of large-sized fruits arriving soon will gradually increase. The market prefers large-sized fruits." Australian nectarines are one of the main fruits of Guangzhou Faikee Fruit Limited, Ms. Sharon Huang, the manager introduced.
"Because the weather in the production area has changed greatly, the fruits on the trees are more likely to become soft, so when to pick the fruits is important. At present, some fruits on the market are not hard enough, which may be related to the weather in the production area and the picking time. Overall, the current fruits are not as hard as before.”
China is the main market for Australian nectarines. According to Sharon, the output of nectarines this season is not much different from previous years, but the volume sent to the Chinese market is larger than before. "The current selling price and sales volume are roughly the same as in previous years, but the sales are slow. Merchants would rather increase the number of purchases but reduce the quantity each time, so purchasing tends to be cautious."
Regarding the sales area, Sharon said that because the early-ripening varieties have a sour taste, they are currently mostly sold to East China, which can accept this taste. When the production season develops and the fruit taste becomes sweeter, the purchase volume in South China will increase. "Now the taste has gradually improved."
It is reported that the market values the appearance, hardness and taste of Australian nectarines. Some buyers will value the brand, but few merchants pay attention to the variety. In fact, various orchard brands are continuing to develop different new varieties to adapt to market changes.
Sharon said that some of the new varieties arriving this year performed well: "Among the existing early-ripening varieties, Fire Pearl and Diamond Pearl are more popular in the Chinese market and can meet the requirements for appearance and hardness. In terms of new varieties, in recent years, Polar Kirst performed well, with rich color on the appearance and a crisp taste. It is outstanding among the early varieties. Its price is higher, but it is also popular. Another new variety, Royal Pearl, was launched for the first time this year. In addition to its bright appearance, it has advantages in sweetness and peach aroma, and its taste is the best among the early-ripening varieties. Since the quantity on the market in the first stage of this year is limited and the price is high, if production can be increased next year and improvements continue, the sales prospects will be promising."
Left: Polar Kirst variety; Right: Royal Pearl variety
The sales of Australian nectarines can last until the Chinese New Year. At present, most of the arrivals are in large boxes of 10KG, while some small packages of 5KG or single layers usually arrive in the middle and late production season and before the Chinese New Year. There are currently few similar competing products on the market, so the selling price and volume are generally satisfactory. When Chilean nectarines are launched, Australian nectarines will be affected, and prices will change accordingly.
Faikee Fruit Limited mainly sells imported and domestic high-quality fruits, including Australian and Chilean stone fruits, and New Zealand apples.