China’s fruit consumption and production on the rise

The Chinese eat about 73% of the world’s persimmons, 68% of its pears, 67% of its watermelons, 58% of its peaches and plums, 50% of its kiwifruit, 49% of its apples, 27% of its citrus, 17% of its grapes, and 10% of its mango and banana. China is both a large importer and producer of fruit. It has 13.2 million square kilometres of melon production alone. In 2018, China produced 250 million tons of fruit, equivalent to 31.4% of the world’s production. The country now incorporates highly technified production and has tens of millions of people working in its fields. Films are used to insulate crops in the cooler climates of the north. The challenge for China’s agriculture is to keep pace with the growing population and its increasing appetite for quality fresh fruit.