With the exit of early-ripening watermelons from Hainan and Yunnan, on the market watermelons of Jiangsu origin have been concentrated in the market since early June. When they first arrived, the market response was very good. Basically, they were sold out as soon as they arrived. The price is also higher due to the limited supply.
At present, the main varieties of watermelon available in the market are 8424 melon and Texiaofeng. Among them, the 8424 watermelon, known as the "ace" watermelon, has a better sales volume, and the overall sales volume has the fastest year-on-year growth rate. According to statistics, since June, the trading volume of 8424 watermelons accounts for 75% of the total trading volume of watermelons in the market.
This year, the trading volume of watermelons in the market has dropped significantly and the price has risen. The main reason is that due to the rapid decline in watermelon prices in 2021 and 2020, the enthusiasm of melon farmers in planting is generally low, and they have switched to other fruits and vegetables. Therefore, the planting area of ​​watermelon in greenhouses has decreased this year. Coupled with rising oil prices, transportation costs and labor costs, the cost of watermelon sales terminals is increasing.
In addition, according to statistics, China's watermelon imports in 2021 dropped by 41.1% year-on-year. This has also led to a gap in the market, which is why the market price is so high. Affected by the pandemic and customs clearance, the share of imported watermelons in the market has become less and less, and the total market volume of watermelons is also shrinking. Coupled with the longer shipping time and increased product damage, the price of watermelons has also risen.
The price of early-ripening watermelons that entered the market in late March has remained high, generally around 5RMB/kg, which is at a historically high level. In the short term, the market price of watermelons is unlikely to fall. It may be necessary to wait until July and August when watermelons in Gansu and other places are on the market in large quantities, then the price will possibly drop.
In addition, the watermelon market has been relatively stable in recent years. In addition, the market demand for watermelons in summer is large, the initial investment cost is not large, and the risk is much lower than for other crops. This has also led to more and more fruit growers planting watermelons, but only high quality watermelons have a good market.
Source: Jiaxing Fruit Market