The price of strawberries is halved, and cherries are "falling endlessly": Is fruit freedom coming back? | 2nd eye
Recently, "Strawberry price halved" rushed to the hot search list in Weibo, causing widespread concern among netizens. Under the hot search, some people are feeling that strawberries have become cheaper this year, and others are asking where to buy cheap strawberries.
According to the report of china securities journal, the reporter found that the sharp drop in strawberry prices was indeed true in many strawberry wholesale and retail markets in Beijing. Wang Liang (pseudonym), who specializes in strawberry wholesale in Beijing Xinfadi Agricultural Products Wholesale Market, said: "The weather is warm, strawberries grow very fast, and they are cooked in clusters, and they can be red overnight, and they are too late to pick them. The price of the country of origin has been reduced, and the wholesale and retail ends have also dropped accordingly. "
Not only strawberries, but also cherries are in the same situation. Statistics from Beijing Xinfadi Wholesale Market show that on October 31, 2023, the average price of Chilean cherries was 165 yuan per catty, and the highest price reached 200 yuan per catty. According to the latest market data, on January 31st, 2024, the average price of Chilean cherries on sale was 39 yuan per catty, and the highest price was only 55 yuan per catty. At the average price, the price of cherries dropped by 76.4%.
I still remember that before, "I can’t afford to eat fruit with a monthly salary of more than 10,000 yuan" rushed to the hot search, and the Internet was full of denunciations about "fruit assassins". Now the long-lost price reduction came off guard, which made people wonder: "Is fruit freedom really coming back?"
The most fundamental reason for the big price reduction of strawberries in 2024 is that the output has gone up.
According to CCTV financial report, in Yunnan, a big strawberry planting province, the strawberry production in 2023 increased by about 30% compared with 2022, and the price was also 20%-30% cheaper than 2022.
The surge in output mainly includes two factors: first, the climate is warming, which is suitable for strawberry growth; Second, more and more businesses are entering strawberry planting, and the plates are enlarged together.
According to the data of Tianyancha App, there were 521 new strawberry growing enterprises in 2023, and in 2022, the number was as high as 1,339. In two years, there were nearly 2,000 new strawberry growing enterprises in China. In terms of planting area, the planting area of strawberries also increased from 78.1 thousand hectares in 2011 to 139.97 thousand hectares in 2021.
From the perspective of the overall industry, China is the largest producer and consumer of strawberries. The Report on the Development Trend Analysis and Investment Prospect of China’s Strawberry Industry (2022-2029) shows that the production scale of strawberries in China ranks first in the world, accounting for more than one third of the total global strawberry production. The output of strawberries is also rising year after year, from 2.009 million tons in 2011 to 3.6825 million tons in 2021.
It is precisely because of the multiplied planting area and the booming output that the objective law of "scarcity is precious" has been essentially broken, and the seller’s market has become a buyer’s market, and the price has also ushered in a decline.
According to china securities journal, on February 25th, 2024, Wang Liang, a professional strawberry wholesaler in Beijing Xinfadi Agricultural Products Wholesale Market, told the reporter, "Two days ago, the creamy strawberries in Shandong and Anhui dropped to 8 yuan a catty. It snowed in the place of origin these two days, picking and transportation were blocked, and the price rose by a few dollars, but even if it rose, the price was half cheaper than that of the year before." A number of wholesalers told reporters that the best-selling strawberry now is Dandong, Liaoning, a catty of which is in 20 yuan’s early days, but before the Spring Festival, it has to be sold for 50 to 60 yuan a catty, and the price has been halved.
The development of fruit planting technology and the "involution" among growers have imperceptibly pushed down the price of high-priced fruits.
As the "shoulder handle" of apples, the red and durable "Fuji" apples were once all the rage. In 1980, China introduced Red Fuji into Shandong Province. Because the climate in Shandong Province is extremely suitable for the growth of Red Fuji, the planting area and output of Red Fuji have been rising, reaching a peak of more than 3,000 tons.
Almost every post-80s generation grew up eating the "inexhaustible" red Fuji in Shandong, and planted many kinds, even the rarest varieties became common.
The path of the sunshine rose falling from the altar is similar to that of Red Fuji. According to the data, in 2015, the price of the once-popular Sunshine Rose grape market once came to 300 yuan per catty, and in 2023, the price of Sunshine Rose only hovered around the 10 yuan per catty.
Another name of Sunshine Rose is Sunny Wang Putao, which was first cultivated in Japan. It is crisp and sweet, and has the characteristics of rose fragrance. After this variety entered China, it has been planted in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, and basically achieved uninterrupted supply in the domestic market throughout the year. Large-scale localized planting of high-priced imported fruits not only reduces the cost of freight, but also increases the market supply, so that high-priced fruits are rare and expensive.
Not only that, but now China is the country with the largest blueberry production in the world; Avocado has been successfully planted in many areas of Yunnan, and even durian, the "king of fruits", has quietly entered the first fruit-producing period in Hainan … Because of all kinds of "localization", in the China market in 2023, blueberries fell to 7.99 yuan a box, and avocados were stable at more than 30 yuan for four, so it no longer felt so "meaty" to eat.
If the "parity" of Sunshine Rose and Avocado is the result of large-scale planting in China, the price reduction of cherries and durian is attributed to the cross-border logistics in China.
The complete infrastructure of fresh food logistics not only reduces the storage and transit time, but also further reduces the loss rate. It may be hard for Chilean fruit farmers to imagine that cherries that have just picked their branches today may appear in the hands of consumers in China two days later.
On December 3rd, 2021, with the official opening of China-Laos Railway, it takes only three days for durian to be transported from Thailand’s cold chain to Kunming, China, almost catching up with the transportation speed of domestic express delivery, and the transportation cost is reduced and the price is also lowered.
Compared with the frequent occurrence of "fruit assassins", it seems that fruit freedom is really close at hand.
The price of strawberries is so close to the people, which is the gospel of strawberry lovers. Let’s take advantage of the price to have a good meal! Pai Paijun also collected some tips for picking and cleaning strawberries here.
The appearance of strawberries should be bright, uniform and tidy, which indicates that strawberries are mature and have the same maturity, and at the same time, spotted and rotten strawberries should be avoided.
Fresh and ripe strawberries have a strong aroma, and some varieties can smell the aroma of cream when they are close.
Strawberries should be refrigerated in time after purchase, and preservation at 2℃-4℃ is helpful to extend the shelf life of strawberries.
First, wash strawberries with running water to remove the dust on the surface.
Then, soak in clear water, light salt water or baking soda solution for 5 minutes.
Finally, rinse it again and you can eat it with confidence.
Key points: don’t pick strawberry stalks before washing! Studies have shown that the cleaning method without removing the strawberry pedicle will be cleaner and more hygienic than removing the strawberry pedicle.
Tips: Although strawberries are delicious, everyone should pay attention to eating them in moderation!
(References: Xinhua News Agency, china securities journal, CCTV Finance, Sanlian Life Weekly, The Paper, Interface News, China Economic Weekly, Anhui Daily, Intersection News, Popular Daily, etc.)
Topic Host | Reporter Zheng Zongmin
Figure | Xinhua News Agency data map