Dandong Strawberries Hit Market Early

In Liaoning province in Northeast China, Dandong Prefecture’s first Hongyan strawberry harvest of the season has hit the market, according to the Dandong Daily, with prices slightly lower than at the same time last year.

Strawberry growers in the city of Donggang indicated that this year’s Hongyan strawberries ripened a few days earlier than usual owing to warmer, humid temperatures. While this first harvest is smaller than the harvests to come, the strawberries harvested this round are reportedly well ripened with a sweet, tangy flavor. This year’s purchasing price for the first harvest is currently hovering around 130 Chinese yuan ($20.31) per kilogram — slightly lower than last year’s price of 160 yuan ($25.00) per kilogram. Meanwhile, retail prices for the first batch of strawberries have reached up to 180 yuan ($28.12) per kilogram. The second harvest of Hongyan strawberries is expected to hit the market in mid-November, which will bring prices down.

Dandong strawberries are produced from November to June. The first harvest of strawberries to hit the market in November usually sells for about 80 to 100 yuan per jin ($25.00 to $31.25 per kilogram). Once production and supplies increase later in the season, the retail price may fall to around 30 to 50 yuan per jin ($9.38 to $15.62 per kilogram). When southern China’s strawberry season winds down, Dandong strawberries are typically among the last strawberries to remain on the market, making March through May the peak months for Dandong strawberry prices and sales.

The climate and soil of Dandong Prefecture are well suited to growing strawberries through the winter, and the strawberries grown there tend to be of high quality. The city of Donggang first began cultivating strawberries in 1924 and boasts the first established and developed strawberry production area in China. In the last six to seven years, the region has experienced rapid development, with the strawberry planting area expanding to 200,000 mu (13,300 hectares).

Hongyan strawberries are Dandong’s most famous local strawberry variety, becoming widely popular in 1999 following their first cultivation by the Dandong Strawberry Research Institute. In addition to their appealing color and flavor as well as consistent quality, Hongyan strawberries store well and are suited to long-distance transportation.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.