The winter harvest of strawberries begins to enter the market in bulk as Chinese Spring Festival [February 5th, 2019] approaches. The peak period was delayed by 10-20 days because rainfall was excessive and sunshine sparse. The price of strawberries is much higher this year, because many seedlings suffered from sub-optimal growing conditions and the overall production volume was not up to standard.
There is still room for the price of strawberries to increase before Spring Festival, but the price is likely to fall after the festival, as it did in previous years. However, the most important influence on price fluctuations remains the weather. Many airline carriers entered the "strawberry season" last month. China Southern Airlines air freighted more than 150 tons of strawberries from Dandong and Zhuanghe in the period up to January 10th, 2019. That is 4 times the freight volume of last season. China Southern expects a total freight volume of around 500 tons. The peak period will continue until the end of this month.
The average price of strawberries in production areas throughout China is around 14 yuan [2.06 USD] per 0.5 kg. That is 5 times higher than the average price of such common fruits as oranges and apples. However, strawberries rely on their delicate appearance to maintain status in the market.
