The Chinese Fuji apple season looks to be on track, even though widespread drought in the country could severely affect growers.
Despite reports that more than 4.5 million people are short of water in northern China due to the drought, which stretches from northeast Jilin province to the Inner Mongolia region, sources have confirmed the main growing regions should remain unaffected.
Capespan procurement manager for China, Rod Hill, told freshinfo the main regions - the Shandong province and Shanbei in the Shaanxi province - should remain stable in terms of volume.
He said: “In Shandong, there are no problems relating to water and the crop size will be around the same as last year, although fruit size may be bigger.
“Shaanxi has smaller farming units and they have had problems with water, not related to a drought as such but definitely a shortage of rain compared to normal. The crop is still on course to be bigger, but it may mean fruit will be smaller. It may well be a positive things for growers as apples in bags can be badly affected by water damage, leaving marks and dirt with that method of growing, so fruit could be cleaner, but of smaller size.”
The key period for producers will be from the third week of September through until the end of October, where stock levels will become clearer and the amount of fruit made available for domestic and export markets will be closely monitored.
Hill added: “Prices may be high again this year as the fruit enters a European market in a recessionary trend. It’s not going to be a year when we see low prices for Fuji, that’s for sure.”
The smaller production area of Dalian in the Liaoning Province of north-east China is also devoid of drought issues at the moment.
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