Rising demand for China's strawberries

China is one of the world's major exporters of frozen strawberry. But as more and more affluent Chinese are taking to the fruit, producers are trying to keep up with demand at home. Strawberries are considered the queen of fruits by many in China and picking strawberries is a popular Springtime activity in Beijing, as people rush outdoors to enjoy the warmer temperatures after a long and bitter winter. The price of picking 500 grams of strawberries ranges from US$4 to US$8. Changping District, which is located north of Beijing, is known for its orchards. Xu Kezhong, Director of Agricultural Service Centre, Changping District, said: "Strawberry farming here has a very good prospect because it is supported by Beijing city, where consumer spending power is high. The farms in Changping district are unable to keep up with the demand in Beijing. The district produced 5500 tonnes last year, but there are 20 million people in capital."
He expects the harvest to reach 7000 tonnes this year, thanks to the area's favourable conditions for growing strawberries. "Beijing enjoys many sunny days in winter, unlike the south, which tends to be rainy and overcast in winter," said Mr Xu. This farm grows strawberries from Spain, Iran and Japan but has also been cultivating China's own varieties. Wang Yuzhu, Deputy General Manager of Yu Lin Tang Quan Orchards, said: "The cultivation of Chinese strawberries has been developing very fast in recent years. We have quite a few greenhouses here that grows China-patented strawberries. Chinese strawberries are more fragrant." His farm is now collaborating with Spain to develop more varieties to participate in the 7th Strawberry Symposium to be held in Beijing next year.