In W24 in the plum and prune landscape, California's prune crop for the 2023 season is showing promising signs as growers have observed good sizes on fruit sets. The favorable weather during prune bloom contributed to the expected premium quality of the crop. However, supplies are anticipated to be tight, with an estimated volume of 68 thousand mt in 2023. The prune trees in California are benefiting from the wet weather, resulting in natural fruit drops and a range of optimum sizes anticipated by growers. For 100 years, California prune growers have had a long-standing commitment to responsible production, ensuring premium quality prunes. With the highest agricultural standards and a climate-controlled tunnel drying system, California prunes are known for their natural sweetness and are safely exported to 60 countries annually. As the largest producer of prunes in the world, California continues to invest in scientific research to maintain its leading position in the category.
In Apr-2023, Georgian prune imports increased significantly to 105mt, up 517.6% compared to the 17mt in 2022, setting a new record in the fruit import segment. The growing demand for prunes in Georgia led to a substantial rise in imports. Uzbekistan emerged as the primary supplier of prunes to the Georgian market, accounting for nearly 90% of the total volume imported during April. Additionally, prunes were also imported from Turkey to meet the increasing demand in Georgia.
Lastly, the main Tam Hoa plum harvest in the Bac Ha plateau in the Lao Cai province in Vietnam is currently underway. However, the hot weather and prolonged drought have caused the plums to ripen early, resulting in lower prices compared to previous years. According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Giang, the Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Bac Ha district, there are nearly 350ha of Tam Hoa plum orchards in the region. While most of the plum areas have a good fruit yield, some early flowering areas faced foggy conditions, leading to a low fruit setting rate. The prices of plums in 2023 are lower than the annual average. Currently, fresh plums are being sold at prices ranging from USD 0.43-1.70/kg. The lower-grade plums are priced at USD 0.43/kg, while the selected plums range from USD 0.85-1.28/kg, and Grade 1 plums are priced at USD 1.70/kg. Despite the challenging conditions during fruit development due to the prolonged dry weather, the plums have maintained their fruity flavor due to favorable conditions during the flowering and fruiting stages. However, the dry weather did affect the size of the fruit, resulting in a lower proportion of large plums compared to the 2022 plum crop. The plum consumption market in Bac Ha has become active with the participation of domestic traders as well as traders from the provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, and Hanoi. Despite the lower prices, there is an increasing demand for plums in the region.
