Since Hainan areca nuts became mature and listed in July this year, the purchase price has soared from the initial 5 yuan/kg to 19 yuan/kg, the highest purchase price in history. Many insiders use the word "crazy" to describe it. In this regard, experts in the industry said that since this year, the price of areca fruit in Hainan has been rising abnormally. The fundamental reason is the imbalance between market supply and demand, which has led to the high price of areca fruit. Experts suggest that we should invest carefully to prevent new losses.
The purchase price has reached a record high, and many primary processing enterprises dare not purchase.
"At this time last year, the purchase price of betel nut was only four or five yuan per kilogram. This year, as soon as the betel nut was listed, the price rose rapidly in just half a month. A few days ago, it had risen to 19 yuan per kilogram, which has never been seen in previous years." Liu Lian, the head of Hainan Betel Nut Commune Real Estate Co., Ltd. in Jianfeng Town, Ledong, has been engaged in planting betel nuts for more than ten years, he told reporters, At present, the mature fruits in the garden have been snapped up. At present, many purchasers want to book fruits, and betel nut fruits have become "hot". Liu Lian said that since the middle of July this year, areca nuts in Sanya, Ledong and Lingshui have been listed one after another, and merchants have bought a large number of them. The price has remained high. Not long ago, it was about 15 yuan/kg, but in the past two days, it has risen to 19 yuan/kg.
Li Hanqiang, secretary-general of Tunchang Areca Association, told reporters that the price of this year's areca fruit was indeed "incredible", almost "crazy". As soon as the fruit was listed this year, the purchase price rose to, although it once fell to 9 yuan/kg, but it was only half a month before the price rose again, constantly breaking the previous high. "In the past two years, the sales price of betel nut fruit has been running at a high level. The income of betel nut growers is considerable, but it is not good for the development of the whole industry." Li Hanqiang said that, at present, facing the high purchase price of raw fruit, the pressure of betel nut primary processing enterprises and deep processing enterprises is very great, In particular, betelnut primary processing enterprises between betelnut growers and deep processing enterprises are the most "injured", and many primary processing enterprises dare not purchase fruits.
According to the monitoring data from the Development and Reform Department of Hainan Province, on September 16, the purchase price of processing quality areca nuts in Sanya City was 15 yuan/jin, up 15.38% month on month. The purchase price of processing quality areca nuts in Ledong City was 16.5 yuan/jin, up 17.86% month on month. The purchase price of processing quality areca nuts in all cities and counties across the province rose to varying degrees, with an average purchase price of 15.13 yuan/jin, It rose 8% month on month.
Stimulated by various factors, the supply and demand of betel nut market is unbalanced.
Against the background of the impact of the epidemic this year, why did the purchase price of betel nut fruit rise against the trend, constantly breaking the record?
According to the relevant person in charge of the betel nut branch of the China Fruit Circulation Association, the purchase price of betel nut has been rising this year. The root cause is also the imbalance between supply and demand in the betel nut market, which leads to the shortage of supply and the increasing purchase price of processing enterprises. He believes that there are many reasons for this situation. "First, Hainan was generally hot and dry in the first half of this year, which led to a decrease in the yield of betel nut compared with previous years; Second, the market demand side is expected to be generally optimistic. At present, many deep processing enterprises have strengthened their willingness to cooperate with primary processing enterprises, the purchase price of dried fruit has been rising, and the competition for raw materials of betel nut is fierce. "The rigid demand for raw materials of betel nut is large, and the purchase of raw materials of betel nut by primary processing enterprises has a relatively high market expectation for the market of dried fruit for some time ago," said the person in charge.
It is worth noting that Hunan Huayi Food Co., Ltd., jointly founded by entrepreneur Chen Sheqiang and the former president of Flavor Wang Group Chen Yi, recently released investment promotion information, which caused quite a shock in the field of food, especially betel nut sales. Hunan Huayi Company joined the betel nut industry as a "new player", but its steward at the helm has "old experience", which may inject new vitality into the betel nut sales market and bring a new pattern, which is generally favored by the industry.
Chen Huilong, president of Wanning Betel Nut Association, said that this year's betel nut purchase season was nearly 20 days ahead of schedule, and the yield of betel nuts decreased, leading to a rapid increase in market purchase prices. In the previous two years, the purchase price of betel nut was good, which led to the influx of a lot of foreign capital into the betel nut planting industry in Hainan. The price of the betel nut farm has been rising. At present, the contract price of each betel nut plant is as high as 50 to 80 yuan. The output decreases, the cost rises, and the demand side is in short supply, so the price naturally rises all the way.
Liu Lian believes that with the rapid spread of areca yellowing in the past two years, the output of areca has been seriously affected. "Since this year, the output of areca nut growers' orchards has generally decreased, and some growers have even reduced their output by more than 50%." Liu Lian, as the vice chairman of the Areca Branch of the China Fruit Circulation Association, goes to major areca nut planting bases in Hainan every year to learn about the production. He told reporters that in the first half of this year, the continuous drought in Hainan caused serious fruit loss of areca nuts, Although the enterprise adopts refined management such as water and fertilizer integration, affected by hot weather and other factors, such orchards also reduce output by about 20%, while most growers are careless in management, and the prevention and control of pests and diseases are not timely, water and fertilizer management is not in place, resulting in poor tree vigor, poor resistance of plants, easy occurrence of yellowing, and serious yield reduction.
The price of raw fruit fluctuates sharply, which is unfavorable to the healthy development of areca industry.
Areca catechu is one of the most characteristic tropical cash crops in Hainan Province. In the past 20 years, Hainan's areca industry has witnessed a blowout growth, surpassing rubber as the largest cash crop in Hainan Province, and is the main source of income for more than 2.3 million farmers. The stability of the purchase price of areca fruit is related to the livelihood of more than 2 million farmers in Hainan and more than 300000 industrial workers in Hunan. In recent years, the price of betel nut has fluctuated from high to low, showing a "roller coaster" state. In 2018, the purchase price of areca fruit exceeded 10 yuan/kg, the market demand increased significantly, and the market was optimistic; In 2019, the price of Hainan betel nut fell to 3 yuan/kg as soon as it was listed; This year, as soon as the betel nut is put on the market, the price has soared from four to five yuan per kilogram to 19 yuan per kilogram. The betel nut industry has experienced frequent price fluctuations, which has caused considerable impact on the development of the betel nut industry.
Li Hanqiang said frankly that too high or too low prices are extremely detrimental to the development of the entire industry. The growers earn more when the price of raw fruit is high, and the deep processing enterprises earn more when the price is low. Only when the price is stable, the enterprises that carry out primary processing in the middle will earn more. In the betel nut industry chain, the primary processing households most want the price to be stable. When the price is stable, the purchase price of dried betel nut follows the price of raw fruit, and the profit space is stable. But once the price is like a "roller coaster", the high price will be collected and the low price will be sold, The most injured must be the primary processing households.
At present, the purchase price of fruit is still high. For every jin of dried fruit processed by primary processing households, they will lose at least 20 yuan. He Detong, the person in charge of Tunchang Futong Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., said that every 4.5 jin of fruit is processed into one jin of dried fruit, and the processing cost also includes electricity, labor costs and losses. Now the cost of processing one jin of dried fruit for primary processing enterprises is at least about 80 yuan/jin, while the purchase price of dried fruit for many deep processing enterprises is only about 60 yuan/jin at present. Therefore, many primary processing enterprises dare not purchase fruits when they have not received the clear purchase price of dried fruits from deep processing enterprises. He Detong believes that at present, the price of fruit is soaring, and primary processing households and deep processing manufacturers are under great pressure. Only reasonable raw material prices are the basis for the healthy development of upstream and downstream relationships in the industrial chain.
The relevant person in charge of Taste King Company, a leading enterprise in the deep processing of Areca nuts in Hunan, said that the purchase price of Hainan Areca nuts has been running at a high level for several consecutive years, and the purchase price of dried fruits has now exceeded 60 yuan/jin, which has brought huge costs to the deep processing enterprises of Areca nuts and faced major operational risks.
The relevant person in charge of the betel nut branch of the China Fruit Circulation Association believes that the sudden rise in the price of betel nuts is not conducive to the healthy development of the whole industry. Enterprises and associations need to negotiate to establish a set of practical and market law compliant price mechanism, so that the interests of betel nut growers, primary processors and deep processing enterprises are balanced, and excessive preference is given to any party, Will have an impact on the development of the industry.
To explore the path of sustainable development, Hainan formulated an action plan.
A few days ago, Hainan released the Action Plan of Science and Technology Support for the Sustainable Development of Hainan's Areca Industry. According to the Plan, it will complete the research on the sustainable development of Wanning's areca industry within two months, form a summary report, and propose a work plan for the sustainable development of Wanning's areca industry. By the end of 2020, taking Wanning as a pilot, Wanning betel nut competent department will carry out the action of sustainable development of the betel nut industry, complete the provincial research, and formulate the action plan of sustainable development of the province's betel nut industry, which will guide growers to plant and manage scientifically and improve the comprehensive economic benefits of betel nut planting with science and technology as the support.
Wang Fu, director of the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, said that, on the one hand, low yield gardens should be updated and upgraded in a timely manner, and ecological gardens should be built with high standards to promote further scientific orchard management; On the one hand, actively adjust the layout of areca processing industry, eliminate small and micro enterprises, and improve the quality of areca processing products. The government and enterprises should make full use of the advantages of building a free trade port in Hainan, increase efforts in talent introduction and equipment and technology innovation, actively cooperate with mainland enterprises, introduce advanced production equipment, and strive for areca deep-processing enterprises to settle in Hainan, so as to promote the further healthy development of the areca industry.
