“The current citrus import market is very competitive. There are large supplies of overseas oranges available, coming from the US, Egypt and Spain, and the current economy is not performing very well. I believe, however, that these harsh conditions pose opportunities for growth,” says Charleston Xiong of Nan Feng Green Tree Import and Export. The company is large producer and exporter of baby mandarin, which season runs from September to December. Last year, Nan Feng Green Tree has launched an import branch that is directly sourcing fresh fruit globally.
“Currently, we are importing Valencia oranges from Egypt, Red Globe grapes from Peru and fresh coconuts from Thailand. The coconuts are a new product for us. They will be sold on wholesale markets in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. At the moment we are importing small volumes of coconuts, around one or two containers per week. We hope to grow our import volumes step by step. From March to June is low coconut season in Thailand and market prices are higher than during the season. Earlier last year we also imported mangosteen and dragon fruit, and we are looking to start the import of Thai longan.”
“The production and import of citrus fruit is our main business, and we want to expand our production. However, I believe there are opportunities on the fruit import market. The current market is very competitive and the economic situation in China, and abroad, is not good. The circumstances to survive as a business are difficult, and only professional companies will be able to survive. Businesses that cannot deliver stable supply of good quality products will not make it. This gives us the opportunity to grow.”
“My first priority is quality and stable supply. Secondly I am looking for reliable growers to work with. We are building up our brand name, PP (Pampas), in China. Chinese consumers care about food safety and reliability. Our vision is to grow in the premium market segment of imported fruit. I have visited orchards and exporters in South Africa and Canada, and I can see there is a lot of room to develop for the Chinese fresh produce industry. Corporate management, technology, packing houses, cool storage, transport, these things need to improve to move forward. We are now laying the building bricks for a strong import network. We find reliable suppliers and strong sales channels in China. Once we have increased our import volumes we can start lay-out our own brand. With the right focus we can grow.”
