I Fresh Shanghai report: Goodfarmer has signed an agreement to import Zespri Kiwi fruits.

Present as a speaker for the second edition of I Fresh Shanghai Conference, Mr. ZIIJE Liu, Chairman of Goodfarmer Fruits and Vegetables Company Ltd made a statement of Chinese import and export in the fruit and vegetable industry.

Goodfarmer is certainly one of the most known brands in China and abroad.

The company based in Shanghai is operating both exports, import, ripening room activities.

Chinese exports are declining for various reasons Mr. ZIIJE has explained retailers and producers that Chinese export were declining for various reasons.

First, Inflation of labor costs has put fresh produce prices up.

Second, the currency change which was 1€ for 10 RMB is now 1€ for 7, 22 RMB, this is not in favor of the export prices.

Then, few countries have put import barriers to Chinese products.

This has been the case for Indonesia, India, Brazil, south-America… In Europe, authorities have imposed a quota on garlic import from China.

As for production of apples in China, Mr. ZIIJE points it out that planted areas for apple was increasing of 5% / year. So prices will still going down.

Booming Chinese imports of Premium fruit

Apart from these export trends, Mr. ZIJE explains that import for Premium fresh fruit is booming.

Main fruit to be imported are dragon fruit, kiwis, and bananas. Dallian harbor (Beijing province) represent 36% of total import, Nanjing make 56% of the volume for dragon fruit. Shanghai represents 50% of the volume of kiwi fruit imports.

As for bananas, they are generally coming from Philippines and Ecuador. The volume from Philippines is decreasing because of today’s bad diplomatic relations between Philippines and China

. Other origins of fruit are Chile, Australia, South Africa, Europe…

Mr. ZIIJE has also announced that Goodfarmer and Zespri (New Zealand) have just signed an agreement last august. Goodfarmer is so becoming the secong authorized importer of Zespri. First kiwi fruits will arrive in China, week 38.