"The climate is one of the main factors that determines the production of agricultural produce. Two months ago, Gansu suffered from heavy rain and hail. In Li County, a third of the apple production areas were influenced by the weather. Luckily, our orchards were not affected. More rain and snow fell over the next few days, followed by a drop in temperature. When there are big differences in temperatures between day and night, it increases the sweetness and quality of the apples," according Mr. Du Zewen, CEO of Li County Xi Han Fruit Industry Agricultural Alliance.
"Currently, 80% of our Huaniu apples are sold through traditional sales channels to distributors and supermarkets in first and second tier cities in China. The remaining 20% is exported to South East Asia. What is different from the previous years, is that, in order to avoid the trade risks from exporting to India, while we are steadily developing the South East Asian market, we are also working to expand to high-end markets, such as Europe."
"The general apple sales are not doing so well. However, the price of our certified green and organic apples is higher than last year. That is because of our strict control on agricultural waste and effective monitoring of the fruit quality in the production process. Last year, our trees were sprayed with pesticides only three times in the entire year. All the fruit ripened naturally. However, even though we have lost a part of our products, because birds were eating the fruit, our products on the market will still be the best."
"This year, the supply of our apples does not meet the demand. In order to open new sales channels, next year, apart from establishing stores in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xiamen, we will also advance to Europe, so we can transition our fruit from low-end products to high-end products, and realize their added value."
