Daily Times

From January to September 2021, Pakistan exported 37.4 tons of fresh and dried mangoes to China, which is more than 10 times the 3.6 tons in the same period in 2020. Even so, it is still less than 0.36pc of China’s total imports of 10,500 tons of mangoes from January to September, according to a report compiled by China Economic Net (CEN). In 2021, Sindhri mangoes cost 168 yuan (Rs4,500) in China for 4.5 kg, 98 yuan (Rs2625) for 2.5 kg, or about 40 yuan (Rs1071)/kg. In the same period, the price of mangoes in Panzhihua, Sichuan Province, China was about 1/3 of the former.

It said, compared to Australian mangoes priced at Rs2145/kg, Pakistani mangoes are not expensive in China.

In this regard, the person in charge of Joy Wing Mau Fruit Technologies Corporation Limited said that the price is not an issue, high quality is the key. China’s imported mangoes from Australia and Peru can be sold for 300-400 yuan (8034-10712 rupees) in 5kg packs, which are far more expensive than Pakistani mangoes, but sales are still very good.

“Because of the high degree of industrialization of Australian mangoes, they are just ripe when being shipped to China with good quality. However, when Pakistani mangoes are shipped to China, the maturity of the fruit is different, and the appearance and packaging of fruit are also restraining factors. To ensure the maturity and appearance of each box is the key to boost sales.”

At the same time, the packaging is also a key factor in mango sales. At the CIIE, the crabapple wrapped in round transparent plastic attracted the attention of many consumers, and they expressed their willingness to buy. The person in charge of the booth said that this is packaging designed for traveling, making it more convenient to carry.

Talking about the possibility of expansion in sales, it said, in 2021, most Pakistani mangoes in China have been bought by individual consumers through WeChat presale and payment.

To expand the market scale of Pakistani mango in China, the person in charge said that the imported mangoes need to be sold as soon as possible, and the price is relatively high, so they are more suitable for sale in large warehouse supermarkets such as Sam’s Club.

Household purchases can effectively increase the sales of mangoes. For retail, Fresh Hema Supermarket also matches the price of Pakistani mangoes.

Regarding the import demand of the Chinese cherry market, the person in charge of the booth stated that China consumes 90pc of Chilean cherries. Although the scale of Chilean cherries is growing every year, it is still difficult to meet the needs of Chinese consumers, because the consumer group of Chinese cherries is expanding.

“Eating cherries has even become the new fashion for third and fourth-tier cities to celebrate the Spring Festival.” As China actively expands imports, Uzbekistan’s cherries have been exported to China for the first time in 2020. It is expected that Pakistani cherries can also be exported to China as soon as possible.