Currently, a small number of strawberries are on sale in Chengdu at a price of approximately 32 yuan/jin, which is about 20 days earlier than in previous years. This year, abundant rainfall in September and temperatures maintaining in the suitable range of 15°C to 25°C have shortened the growth cycle of strawberries, bringing forward their ripening time.
At present, the area of strawberry cultivation in Chengdu is about 50,000 acres, accounting for 50% of the total strawberry cultivation area in Sichuan. The main areas are in the Tianfu New Area and Shuangliu District of Sichuan, with quality at an above-average level nationwide. The main variety planted is the mid-ripening variety Hongyan, which is expected to start coming onto the market in large quantities in mid-to-late November. Due to the small supply at the beginning of the market, the price will remain high, with an estimated wholesale price of 20-30 yuan/jin; by March-April next year, the price is expected to drop to 5-10 yuan/jin. Compared to this, strawberries grown before the year have a longer growth and ripening period, with a slightly better taste than those grown after the year.
In a strawberry base in the Tianfu New Area of Sichuan, over 100 acres of strawberries have been planted, covering 8 varieties including Xiangye, Zhongmei Xiangyu, Hongyan, and Heizhenzhu. Among them, Xiangye and Zhongmei Xiangyu, as early-ripening varieties, have gradually matured, while most of the other varieties are currently in the flowering and fruiting stage; strawberry greenhouses of surrounding farmers are also gradually entering the flowering period.
At the same time as the early market entry of traditional greenhouse strawberries, Chengdu's Wenjiang, the largest smart three-dimensional strawberry factory in Southwest China, also saw its first batch of strawberries come onto the market at the end of October. The factory covers a total area of over 3,400 square meters, with 5 three-dimensional strawberry cultivation workshops. It can achieve the yield equivalent to 20 acres of traditional farmland, harvesting 400 jin per day, with an annual output of 73 tons, which is 30 times that of traditional planting modes. The first production workshop, with a planting area of 200 square meters, has trial-planted 6 varieties and is currently in the fruit-bearing period. In July this year, the Zhongnong Super Plant Factory opened the 3rd cultivation workshop, adding the planting of the Fenyu variety, which is now in the flowering stage. It is reported that these strawberries can mature in two months, which is one month faster than traditional greenhouses. The temperature error in the workshop does not exceed ±1°C, and it can switch between 1,200 "light formulas" from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences as needed; the irrigation pipes in the coir substrate will precisely deliver water and fertilizer, and pollination is completed by specialized bees. Even when the market lacks strawberries in summer, the factory can supply them. The estimated retail price of the factory strawberries is 120 yuan/jin, targeting high-end supermarkets, just filling the "gap period" of traditional planting.