Chinese apples monopolize Nepali consumer market
News published in September 9, 2022
** This is news article published on Sep 9, 2022. The article demonstrates China’s dominance in Nepal over apples. At the end of this article, you will find a bonus translation of a 2021 article that shows a small town of Gansu province’s success in selling apples to Nepal**
According to the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal,
Statistics from Nepal's Department of Customs show that the value of Nepal's imports of apples from China totaled 5.99 billion rupees (about 329 million yuan) in the last fiscal year, a year-on-year increase of 2.8%. Local people said that Chinese apples seem to have monopolized the Nepalese market.
It is understood that although Nepal imports apples from many countries, industry insiders believe that Chinese apples monopolize the local market. Statistics show that in the last fiscal year, Nepal imported a total of 86.79 million kilograms of apples, of which 17.31 million kilograms (valued at 1.16 billion rupees) were imported from India, and 69.41 million kilograms were imported from China, accounting for about 80% of Nepal's total imported apples.
It is reported that in addition to China and India, Nepal also imports apples from countries such as Turkey, the United States and Guinea-Bissau. Dried apples are imported from Vietnam and India, and apple juice is imported from China and India. Although apples are also produced in parts of Nepal's Kanali and Gandaki provinces, the transportation cost remains high due to inconvenient transportation. It is difficult for apples produced in these regions to compete with imported apples in the market.
The Federation of Fruits and Vegetables Entrepreneurs of Nepal said that due to the lack of production and market management of apples in Nepal, and the lack of branding and bureaucratic management of organic apples, imported apples have more opportunities to enter and occupy the Nepalese market.
It is worth mentioning that in recent years, Chinese fruits have gone abroad to "conquer cities and seized territories[1]"(攻城略地：Gōng chéng lüè de). Due to their high quality and low price, they have become more and more popular in foreign consumer markets, especially in neighboring countries. In addition to Nepal, Chinese fruits are also emerging in the Vietnamese market. According to statistics from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, in recent years, the number of Chinese fruits, especially peaches, imported into Vietnam has increased significantly. In the first half of this year, Vietnam's total import value of fruits and vegetables reached nearly 900 million US dollars, of which 315 million US dollars’ worth of fruits and vegetables came from China, an increase of nearly 60% compared with the same period in 2021.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary-general of the Vietnam Fruit Association, said that Chinese fruit has a new look in improving product quality, and the price is the most competitive, so the market share has increased significantly. In addition, it is relatively easy to import fruit from neighboring China due to its geographical advantage, which is the main reason for the influx of Chinese fruit into the local market.
[Source: Shaanxi Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Market Dynamics]. The link to the article can be found here
[1]攻城略地(Gōng chéng lüè de): Chinese chengyu (four character traditional Chinese idiomatic expression) indicating conquering cities and seized territories
*** Extra for the context:
Our take: It is worth noting that in December 2021, amidst the restricted border movement of goods, Zhuanglang Country, Wanquan Town of Gansu Province celebrated their first export of 500 tons of apples to Nepal marking zero breakthrough. This is an outcome of the 11th batch of the “One Village, One Product” national initiative.
Translation of reference news on Lanzhou News:
Gansu becomes the only town with a national rural characteristic industry of 1 billion yuan this year
Apples from Wanquan Town, Zhuanglang County exported to Nepal
Date: 23 December 2021
On December 4, Wanquan Town, Zhuanglang County, Gansu Province held the first launch ceremony of apples exported to Nepal. With the departure of trucks full of apples, it marked that Wanquan Apple has achieved zero export breakthrough. It is reported that this time Wanquan Town exported a total of 500 tons of apples to Nepal, which provided strong support for promoting the efficiency of the town's fruit industry, increasing farmers' income, and boosting rural revitalization. In order to deeply integrate into the national "One Belt One Road" major strategy, contribute to Wanquan's strength to help build open Zhuanglang.
It is understood that there are 37,800 mu of orchards in Wanquan Town, more than 10 standardized orchard bases of 1,000 mu have been built, there are 16 leading fruit enterprises, and the total storage capacity has reached 100,000 tons. In 2021, the total output of apples in the town will reach 130,000 tons, and the total output value will exceed 1.04 billion yuan.
Not long ago, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced the "11th batch of national 'One Village, One Product' demonstration villages and towns and the list of 100 million yuan villages with national characteristic industries of 1 billion yuan in 2021".
Wanquan Town, Zhuanglang County, Gansu Province was recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as a one-billion-dollar town for national rural characteristic industries in 2021. This is also the only township in Gansu Province that has been recognized as a national rural characteristic industry of one billion yuan this year.
The relevant person in charge of Wanquan Town said that they will cherish the honor and further optimize our thinking and measures. Continue to strengthen the strongest apple-dominated industry and vegetable specialty industry. Moreover, promote the agglomeration, standardization, scale, and brand development of rural industries; fully explore the functional value of rural industries, develop specialty products, increase the added value of agricultural products, and broaden the channels for farmers to increase their income. Furthermore, they aim to promote the integrated development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries, form a development pattern of deep integration of production villages and production towns, and provide strong support for promoting comprehensive rural revitalization and agricultural and rural modernization.
The link to the original article can be found here