Hortgro Joins Hands With Yonghui Superstores To Promote South African Apples and Pears

On June 1, a promotional event for South African apples was successfully held at Yonghui’s Baolong store in Shanghai’s Qingpu District. The event was jointly organized by the South African government, Hortgro Pome, Yonghui Superstores and B2B fruit company Frutacloud, marking the beginning of a series of marketing activities for South African apples and pears in collaboration with Yonghui this season.

The event was attended by Phuti Joyce Tsipa, consul general of South Africa in Shanghai; Vuyo Lingwati, political vice-consul at the South African Consulate General in Shanghai; Jiang Haibo, general manager for western Shanghai at Yonghui; Liao Wanli, manager of the Baolong store; Lan Xuebin, manager in charge of fruit imports at Yonghui; Huang Xueming, fruit purchaser at Yonghui; and Patty Li, deputy general manager of the supply chain department at Frutacloud.

Tsipa stated that China is a key overseas market for South African apples and pears. Official data indicate that South Africa produces over 5 million metric tons of fruit annually, with 22% of this volume exported to the Far East. Notably, exports to mainland China and Hong Kong account for 12% of South Africa’s total fruit exports. Furthermore, the export volume of South African apples to China has increased by more than 13-fold over the past five years.

Hortgro Pome is an industry association representing the interests of 626 apple and pear growers in South Africa. In a speech, Jacques du Preez, general manager for trade and markets at Hortgro Pome, noted that the export season for South African apples and pears is in full swing, with over 11,000 metric tons already shipped to China. Gala and Fuji remain the primary apple varieties sent to China, and this season is expected to see a slight increase in the total volume of apples and pears exported.

Regarding the marketing event, du Preez said that it marks the first official collaboration between Hortgro Pome and Yonghui Superstores and he is looking forward to establishing a deeper partnership with Yonghui to enable more Chinese consumers to enjoy delicious apples and pears from South Africa.

The recent event also heralds the launch of South African apples and pears at Yonghui stores across China. In-store promotions are set to begin in Guangdong, Fujian, Chongqing, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Images: Yonghui Superstores

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