Singapore Wholesale Fruit Market Update (Week 11: 9–15 Mar 2026)

Quiet volumes, shifting origins, and early Qingming positioning.

The Singapore wholesale market stayed lacklustre this week, and the tell is simple: less volume is moving out of wholesale. Buyers are still cautious. The market is not short of opinions, but it is short of urgency.

That said, Week 11 was not a “nothing happened” week. The supply mix changed meaningfully across berries, citrus, and pome. And you can already see wholesalers starting to position for Qingming Festival (Sweeping Tomb), favouring categories that hold well and sell steadily.

1) Blueberries: supply loosens again, especially from China

After weeks of tightness, blueberry supply increased, led by China arrivals. That incremental flow helped ease pressure and made the supply-demand balance feel more normal again.

The category remains segmented by channel:

• Premium fruit stalls still prefer larger sizes (18mm and above) for display and eating quality.

• Smaller specs continue to find their way into F&B and other value-driven channels.

What this means: Blueberries are no longer trading like a pure “shortage premium” item. The market is shifting back to size, pack format, and channel pricing.

2) Lemons: still tight, prices remain elevated

While blueberries loosened, lemons stayed tight. Supply remains largely from Egypt, and prices are observed around $37 and up, even in a slow market.

This is the classic pattern: when demand is soft, most categories struggle to push price. But when supply is genuinely constrained, lemons still reprice upward.

What this means: If you are servicing consistent lemon demand (especially F&B), plan earlier and avoid assuming a post-CNY softening.

3) Strawberries: supply is available, but origin and quality are shifting

There were some Egyptian strawberries, but arrival quality was not ideal. Market feedback suggests that due to ongoing regional conflict, the transit routing has changed, and temperature integrity may have been compromised.

Because of that uncertainty, importers are proactively expanding alternatives:

• More USA strawberries

• More Korea strawberries

This is an important shift: the market is increasingly re-origined, not because people want variety, but because they want reliability.

What this means: Expect more origin rotation in berries. Availability can be restored, but the market will price based on consistency, not just presence.

4) Oranges: Valencia stable, China navels showing up

On oranges, Egypt Valencia stayed relatively steady in the quotation band, but there is an increasing sign of China navels entering the market.

This week also marks a behavioural shift: wholesalers are already looking ahead to Qingming and are more willing to hold oranges if they believe demand will firm up closer to the festival window.

What this means: Oranges may look stable today, but the market may tighten later if more players choose to hold inventory rather than push volume.

5) Pome: Fuji tightening, Gala still expensive, and Qingming stocking begins

Pome is increasingly a strategic carry category for Qingming. Compared to berries and stonefruit, apples and pears are simply easier to hold, manage, and promote.

Two key signals stood out:

• China Fuji tightening, especially smaller sizes from 100s onwards.

• New season Gala (USA & South Africa) remains very expensive.

This combination reinforces the theme: pome is being held for stability and promotional readiness, not because the market is booming.

What this means: Expect stronger buying interest in apples, pears, and oranges as Qingming approaches, even if the rest of the market remains quiet.

6) Stonefruit & avocado: tightening stonefruit, more Sheppard avocados

There are early signs of tightening supply for Australian stonefruit, and peaches have firmed slightly. At the same time, we are seeing more Sheppard avocados from Australia available in the market.

What this means: Stonefruit may not stay “easy” for long. For avocado, availability is improving, but pricing will still be channel-dependent.

Week 11 summary

Week 11 was a slow week on volume, but a meaningful week on structure:

• Market still lacklustre, with lower wholesale outflow

• Blueberries loosened (more China supply)

• Lemons stayed tight and expensive (~$37+)

• Strawberries shifted by origin, with USA/Korea stepping in and Egypt quality inconsistent

• China navels are appearing

• Fuji tightening at smaller sizes

• Qingming positioning has started: more focus on pome and oranges

• Stonefruit tightening signs, and more Australia Sheppard avocado availability

The market is not loud right now. But it is quietly rearranging itself.