First Ever Shipments of South African Sugar Plums Reach China

On Feb. 10, as preparations for Spring Festival fruit sales entered the final countdown, South African sugar plums imported by several traders began arriving in China by air. This marks the first ever shipment of South African sugar plums to enter the Chinese market following market access approval for South African stone fruit by China’s General Administration of Customs toward the end of last year.

Produce Report contacted a representative of Xianfeng Fruit, a leading Chinese fruit retailer, who confirmed that the company’s first imported batch of South African sugar plums totaled eight pallets, or 1,360 cartons, supplied by exporter CORE Fruit. The fruit will mainly be sold through Xianfeng Fruit’s retail stores.

Unlike varieties commonly found on the Chinese market, the variety in this shipment is Van der Merwe, developed from a bud mutation of the French D’Agen plum and introduced to South Africa in the late 19th century. This variety requires relatively low winter chilling hours, making it well suited to South African growing conditions. The fruit is known for its rich flavor and juiciness, with its sugar content typically reaching 22–28%. According to Xianfeng Fruit, the taste and texture of South African plums align well with Chinese consumer preferences and demand in China is expected to be strong.

On Feb. 11, another shipment of South African sugar plums imported by Yidu Group arrived at Guangzhou’s Jiangnonghui Fruit Wholesale Market. This consignment consisted of five pallets, or 1,275 cartons (2.5 kilograms per carton), with a sugar content of around 25%.

According to reports, the shipment originated from Sunny Fruits and was exported by Bonaire Exporters Pty Ltd. A Yidu Group representative noted that sugar plums enjoy broad consumer appeal in China and the company had moved quickly to introduce South African sugar plums one week ahead of Spring Festival to capture early seasonal demand.

As the South African sugar plum export season enters its final week, small additional volumes are expected to arrive in China by air over the coming days. The 2026 season will mark the first full export season for South African stone fruit to China, with a wider range of products, including nectarines and plums, expected to enter the market.

In October 2025, China and South Africa signed a protocol allowing the export of fresh stone fruit to China. In November, China’s General Administration of Customs officially issued its phytosanitary requirements, covering peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and sugar plums.

According to Hortgro Pome, which represents South African deciduous fruit producers, the country has approximately 16,000 hectares dedicated to stone fruit cultivation, with plums (mainly sugar plums) accounting for the largest share and producing about 93,000 metric tons annually. South Africa’s stone fruit export season runs from October through March or April of the following year, aligning with China’s winter and spring seasons and effectively supplying off-season demand on the Chinese market. Benefiting from favorable weather conditions during winter and the flowering period, fruit set and fruit quality in most producing regions have been excellent this season.

Images: Xianfeng Fruit (main image and body image one), Yidu Group (body images two and three)

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