The Chinese grape market is affected by many factors and the weather just is one of them. Extreme weather conditions can wreak havoc on orchards and vineyards. Whether we talk about production volume or product quality, extreme weather can have a serious impact. This is exactly what farmers experienced last year.
Zhang Jianbing of Bingchuan Kai Feng Specialized Agricultural Cooperation reviewed market conditions: "The overall conditions in the export market are less than ideal this year. Many people have stock, but they are not strict in selecting products based on product quality. A lot of fruit therefore begins to rot in the warehouse, or, for example, in the containers shipped to the Indonesian market. Furthermore, the flavor of Red Globe grapes from Bingchuan in Yunnan is less than optimal."
"These conditions are not unique to the export market, trade in the domestic market is not strong either. Xinjiang Red Globe grapes sold for only 8 yuan [1.19 USD] in Guangzhou. If one takes into account the distribution cost, then there is no way one can earn profit from this price. We also sold Xinjiang grapes last year, but to guarantee product quality we only transport fresh grapes. Apart from this, another problem with Xinjiang grapes is that the stems are too thin and the grapes easily dry out. It is for this reason that we do not store Xinjiang grapes. The warehouses in Xinjiang are currently emptying out as the new production season is approaching. We mainly sell small red grapes from warehouses in Yunnan."
"Our company is located in Bingchuan in Dali, Yunnan. We mainly export Red Globe grapes. Each year has two harvest seasons. Large red grapes enter the market between May and October, and small red grapes enter the market between November and January. Last year we experienced many rainy days just when the large red grapes began to change color. Excessive rainfall has adverse effects on the development of grapes. The extreme weather conditions caused many grapes to rot. The small red grapes take a relatively short time to develop. The small red grapes grow from the clipped vines of early-season large red grapes."
"We have around 11,333 hectares of Red Globe grape vineyards. However, the grapes do not enter the market all at the same time. In the production areas where snow does not fall, the Red Globe grapes will enter the market slightly earlier than the Red Globe grapes from other production areas where snow does fall. We currently have more than 10 thousand grapes in our warehouse. The fresh grapes have not yet entered the market. In comparison with other grape traders, our prices are quite competitive. In the future, we hope to develop close cooperation with fruit traders, and we invite all who are interested in cooperation to contact us."
