The regional fruit value rankings for 2020 were recently announced at the sixth annual China Fruit Industry Brand Conference. The list covered 130 Chinese regional fruit varieties, five more than last year, with an overall average value of 2.093 billion Chinese yuan ($310 million).
The top three varieties on the list remained the same as in 2019, namely, Yantai apples, Korla fragrant pears and Luochuan apples, with values of 14.505 billion yuan ($2.1 billion), 11.034 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) and 7.42 billion yuan ($1.1 billion), respectively.
The 130 varieties on this year’s list covered all areas of China across 26 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. Over 90% of the varieties considered were valued at less than 5 billion yuan ($740 million).
Pome fruits, especially apples, substantially outperformed the other six major fruit categories considered, reaching an average value of 2.923 billion yuan ($430 million). Berries also exceeded the overall average value at 2.268 billion yuan ($340 million). Melons, nuts, citrus, and lychees and bananas (as a single category) had average values of 1.856 billion yuan ($270 million), 1.810 billion yuan ($270 million), 1.682 billion yuan ($250 million) and 1.788 billion yuan ($260 million), respectively. Drupes had the lowest average value of the six categories, being valued at 1.592 billion yuan ($240 million). It is worth noting that two new subcategories have climbed above the overall average value since 2019.
Despite the fact that citrus production has outpaced apple production this year, the average value of apples has remained far in the lead. Among the top ten varieties in the final ranking, eight are apples. Moreover, apples account for 24 of the 38 pome fruit varieties included in the list, and the average value for apples alone reached 3.692 billion yuan ($550 million). Yantai apples proved particularly outstanding, seizing the number one slot with a value of 14.505 billion yuan ($2.1 billion), almost double that of Luochuan apples, the closest contender. The average values for Luochuan, Yan’an, Xianyang Malan Hong, Qixia, Lingbao, Pingliang and Baishui apples all exceeded 5 billion yuan ($740 million).
In terms of value growth, between 2018 and 2020 citrus witnessed the fastest annual growth rate of 13.90%, followed by nuts at 11.15%, berries at 9.60% and drupes at 9.42%. In contrast, the growth rate for pome fruit such as apples remained relatively sluggish at 5.32%. This reflects the rapid growth of citrus in terms of both growing area and market sales, as well as the recent plateauing of the apple market.
The production of apple juice concentrate in Shaanxi province reached 350,000 tons in 2019, making the province China’s foremost producer of this item.
The total export volume was 147,600 tons, while the total value reached 1.15 billion Chinese yuan ($169 billion). According to Wei Yan’an, director of the Shaanxi Fruit Industry Center, the primary export markets include the U.S., South Africa, Russia, Japan and Australia.
Data from Shaanxi’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs indicate that in 2019, the province’s apple production area was 9.22 million mu (1.52 million acres), while the apple production volume was the highest in the country at 11.36 million tons.
Wei also noted that Shaanxi’s large planting area and stable apple production have stimulated the regional development of a variety of agricultural processing industries, with products including apple juice, apple juice concentrate, wine, vinegar and potato chips.
U.S. fruit marketer Chelan Fresh is gearing up for this year’s much-anticipated harvest of Lucy apples. Based in northern Central Washington, the Chelan Fresh fruit brand markets on behalf of a collective of family-owned farms in the area, growing and distributing over 20 varieties of apples, pears and cherries. The Lucy apple made a big splash when it debuted at last year’s Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit, selling out and garnering rave reviews from consumers.
The branded Lucy apple variety was developed by growers in Central Washington and is noteworthy for its unique and eye-catching pink-red flesh. The variety is part Honeycrisp, which gives it a sweet, tangy flavor and appealing crunch. Chelan Fresh offers two varieties of Lucy apple: the Lucy Rose has a classic red skin and a hint of berry flavor, while the Lucy Glo is a yellow-skinned apple with a tangier flavor and deep red flesh.
Chelan Fresh first launched commercial production of the Lucy apple in 2019, producing 6,000 boxes that all sold out. This year’s harvest is due to begin on Oct. 1. When Produce Report caught up with Chelan Fresh at last year’s PMA Fresh Summit, the company was anticipating a harvest size of 13,000 boxes this year.
In addition to the Lucy, Chelan Fresh grows and distributes several other branded apple varieties: the Rockit, a “miniature” apple marketed toward children and on-the-go snackers; the SugarBee, a crisp, red-skinned variety with Honeycrisp parentage; and the Koru, a Braeburn–Fuji cross that is marketed as slow to brown and great for snacking or baking. While the Lucy was developed and introduced to the market by Chelan Fresh itself, the Rockit and Koru are licensed varieties that originate from New Zealand and the SugarBee was originally cultivated in Minnesota.
