REVIEW OF THE CHINESE APPLE INDUSTRY

The apple growing area in China is estimated to be 1.9 to 2.1 million ha while the harvested apple crop is 21 to 24 million tonnes, depending on the statistical source. The Bohai Bay and the Loess Plateau have been the major growing regions in China. The share of ‘Fuji’ exceeds 60% of the total apple production in China. The other major cultivars are ‘Gala’ and its strains, ‘Delicious’, ‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Jonagold’, and ‘Ralls’. The capacity of apple storage is more than 4 million tonnes and the throughput of ACJ (Apple Concentrated Juice) has reached 3170 t/h. The export of fresh apples has dramatically increased to 824,050 tonnes in 2005 and the export of ACJ reached 648,510 tonnes. The technique of bagging fruits plays a key role in guaranteeing quality and increasing China’s competitiveness in the international markets.