During the harvest season from 2015 to 2016, tangerine has been planted over an area of 2.06 million mu in Yichang, with its estimated output reaching up to 3.1078 million tons. Till now, 200000 tons of tangerines in Yichang have already been exported. It is estimated that 250000 tons of tangerines will be exported during the harvest season from 2015 to 2016. Compared with the last year, export volume in this year is expected to increase by more than 30%, and the export price reaches up to 4200 yuan or 4500 yuan per ton, with an increase of about 700 yuan per ton.
With the constant expansion of distribution channel, tangerine in Yichang has been exported to Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Canada, South Korea, Myanmar, some Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Republication of the Philippines, and Malaysia, enjoying a wide popularity around the world.
Building a bridgehead for the export of tangerine to Central Asia
Last year, the Municipal government has successively arranged leading enterprises of tangerine to hold promotion conferences of Yichang tangerine in Xinjiang, Wuhan, Fujian, Shanghai and Beijing, strongly promoting the international and domestic market of tangerine.
On Sept. 14th, 2015, Yichang took the opportunity of One Belt and One Road strategy and the Yangtze River Economic Belt strategy, and signed with Yili Prefecture Strategic Cooperation Agreement on Jointly Building “Yichang and New Europe” International Channel Through Water, Highway and Railway, thus, opening up a new corridor for the export of tangerine to Central Asia.
One month later, Wang Guobin, deputy mayor, headed a group and held a promotion conference of Yichang tangerine and tea in Houerguos City, Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. During the meeting, enterprises from Huoerguos and Yichang inked a purchase and sale contract of 200000 tons of tangerines. “The convening of the promotion meeting marked the substantive progress of the signed agreement. The opening up of “Yichang and New Europe” international passageway creates a good environment for the Yichang tangerines’ entering Central Asia.” said Xiang Bin, director of ZiguiHuixin Tangerine Professional Cooperative. With the continuous increase of Yichang tangerines’ brand awareness in Xinjiang, the cooperative cooperates with several companies in Huoerguos, and has exported nearly 4000 tons of tangerines to five countries in Central Asia and Russia. “In the past, we mainly did business in Manchuria in northeast China, but in recent three or four years, we began to conduct business in Huoerguos.” said Xiang Bin. Huoerguos enjoys a distinct advantage in transportation location, because the transportation period between Central Asia and Russia can be reduced through this city. The cooperative now devotes itself to the expansion of Huoerguos market, expanding the market to five countries in Central Asia by knowing foreign customers through trade companies.
Leading enterprises heading to explore overseas markets
Tangerine export volume in Yiling District occupies a half of that in the whole city, reaching up to 132000 tons at present.
Last year, Yiling District guided leading enterprises on tangerine sale to gradually perfect five boundary trade ports, to stabilize sale network, and to strengthen publicity and promotion in Russia, Canada, and some countries in Southeast Asia. Thus, it has successively organized many activities, such as the Fifth China Yichang (Yiling) Tangerine Festival, the Promotion Conference of Tangerine in Russia, the Discussing Meeting of Tangerine in Spain, in order to strongly promote the export of tangerine.
Xiaoxihong Cooperative, the leading enterprise of tangerine sale in Yiling District, has actively expanded overseas markets since 2013. In 2013, in the cooperation with Manchurian Kclean Company, it established YichangXiaoxihong Import and Export Trading Co., Ltd. Company, which mainly manages the export of tangerine. In 2015, the company exported 27000 tons of vegetables and fruits, including 8700 tons of tangerines, gaining over 100 million yuan in terms of export volume. “In the past two years, tangerine export has won a great opportunity in Russia.” said Zhang Renjun, deputy director of Xiaoxihong Cooperative. Since last year, Russia has successively cut off or reduced the business with some European countries like Turkey and Spain in terms of import and export of agricultural product. Meanwhile, a series of policies and measures like One Belt and One Road strategy, the operation of new China to Europe railway, and the proposal of the Yangtze River Economic Belt make it convenient to export Yichang tangerine to Central Asia and Russia. “This year, Xiaoxihong Cooperative will keep on strengthening the expansion of overseas markets, and establish import and export trading company in Russia in order to provide services for the export of Yichang tangerine to Russia.” said Zhang Renjun. Next year, the cooperative will optimize standardization after production, improve quality of tangerine and strive to export over 20000 tons of tangerines.
Smoothen export trade transportation channel of tangerine
On Nov. 27th, 2015, the special non-stop train named 71392, carrying 180 tons of Yichang tangerine, started from Zhijiang station in Yichang City, through Erenhot which is an important node city of One Belt and One Road strategy and Economic Corridor among China, Mongolia and Russia, across Mongolia and to Russia,
“It is the first time that we have used a special non-stop train to carry tangerines from Yichang to Erenhot where tangerines can be transferred to international cold chain train. And then tangerines can be sent across the border, through Mongolia, and finally they can arrive at Krasnoyarskiy in Russia. This railway route can be at least 1600 km less than the highway route through Manchuria Port.” said Wang Zhigang, director of Inner Mongolia Tengda Trade Ltd. Company.
It is introduced that the operational mode of the integration of trade of vegetables and fruits and the changing of railway and freight yard into market, which was put forward by China Railways Cooperation, has been officially launched, as Russia increasingly demands more Yichang tangerine and China, Russia, and Mongolia inked the agreement on transportation cooperation of railway transit. Yichang, as one of the important production zones of fruit in the south, actively devotes itself to the international trade among China, Russia and Mongolia, and becomes the starting point of this multinational cold chain logistics transportation route. It better engages in the construction of Economic Corridor of these three countries by participating in the integration process of railway, and trade of vegetables and fruits.
“The Municipal Transportation Logistics Development Bureau has connected logistics enterprises and farmers, customers as a bridge all the time. It actively not only helps logistics enterprises win the market and earn profits, but also helps farmers open up the market and broaden the marketing channel.” Jiang Hua, deputy mayor in the Municipal Transportation Logistics Development Bureau, told the reporter. From now on, the Municipal Transportation Logistics Development Bureau will cooperate with railway departments, logistics enterprises to perfect cooperation system, strengthen information share, optimize front-end logistics facilities, and ensure a smooth international trade transportation channel among China, Russia, and Mongolia and sustainable development. (Reporter: Cao Yang, Wang Weidi; Correspondent: Liu Juan)