Prunes were originally produced in the South of France. Later on they made their way to the US and Canada. In recent years, large-scale cultivation of prunes has also started in China. The main cultivation areas in China are Xinjiang, Guangdong and Guangxi. But prunes benefit when there is a vast difference between temperatures for night and day, so the prunes from Xinjiang are the sweetest.
Sud de France prunes
In the past, customers would come to the production location to buy the prunes in wholesale. This year though, many online shops entered the production region. They personally buy the prunes and control the quality. "There are many buyers this year to come to Xinjiang to buy the prunes. As a result prices start to differ from place to place rather drastically. 'We have any price' has become the special characteristic of the Xinjiang prune market this year. But at the same time it is an undeniable fact that the online shops did a great deal in making the Xinjiang prunes known to the end market. More and more end consumers hear of this fruit and are willing to try it out. This year is a milestone in the promotion of prunes."
At the moment, the Sud de France variety makes up the largest proportion of the market. The variety has a vibrant red colour, but the interesting part is that "small Sud de France prunes are sweeter and softer than large ones, so they are also more expensive. The market is good now under the popularisation by online shops."
Richard prunes also ready for harvest.
Next week, at the beginning of September, the Richard prunes will gradually go on sale. "The Richard prunes are mainly produced in Xinjiang's Hoxud region. Compared to the Sud de France variety, the Richard variety has an attractive colour that leans more to purple. At the same time, the taste of the Richard prunes are also very distinctive. Not only are they very juicy, but the average sweetness is also above 18 brix. We believe that this variety has a very promising market potential as well. So we will put an emphasis on this variety in 2016."
The Richard prunes, ready for harvest at the end of the month
Worth mentioning is the exuberant demand for prunes this year, some sellers try to pass off prunes from other regions as Xinjiang prunes. The prunes are hard to tell apart from appearance alone, but the difference in taste is big. Large-scale buyers should pay additional attention.
For more information about Xinjiang prunes:
Mr. Jiang Xiuhua
Telephone: (+86) 1510 6555 779