The Chinese chestnut harvest is huge, and orders for frozen chestnuts have increased

Harvest conditions in the Chinese chestnut production areas have been excellent this year, especially for chestnuts from Yanshan. Production declined three years in a row, but it's finally growing again. Manager Yue recently talked about his frozen chestnuts' current market conditions and sales conditions.

"The initial demand for frozen Chinese chestnuts came from our trading partners in Japan. We started producing chestnuts and exporting them to the Japanese market in 2002. We gradually discovered a huge potential in the domestic market as well. That is why since 2015, we have been selling on the domestic market as well. says the manager Yue.

"We imported the frozen chestnut processing technology from Japan. We use a unique process to steam the chestnuts and then roast them. The consumer can thaw them, open the package and the chestnuts are ready to eat. They can also be boiled. The flavor is sweet and sticky. These Chinese chestnuts are very popular among Chinese consumers during the summer.

Many restaurants closed during the first half of last year due to COVID-19. Chinese chestnuts are a snack; there is no strong demand. That's why domestic sales suddenly dropped after the COVID-19 outbreak. "The market gradually recovered after May, and some normality was restored in September. By the time the new harvest arrived, the market conditions had already improved tremendously. Our order volume has not stopped growing, and the price is stable," he adds. Yue.

"Traditionally, the biggest domestic sales season for Chinese chestnuts starts in May and lasts until September. However, in the last two years, sales continued until October and even occurred in the run-up to China's Spring Festival. This is mainly because some merchants put the frozen chestnuts in the oven before selling them. They take on a new flavor in the oven, and Chinese consumers enjoy this flavor during the winter months," explains the manager.

The Chinese chestnut harvest is huge, and orders for frozen chestnuts have increased PDF