Week 7 Market Watch: CNY Clearance Slashing, Blueberries Hold Firm
- 3YY
- 2 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Executive Summary
As we head into the final trading window before the February 17 Chinese New Year, the Singapore wholesale produce market has entered full clearance mode. Wholesalers are aggressively slashing prices to move remaining inventory, with activity highly concentrated on festive staples like mandarin oranges and cherries. The current market tone is entirely inventory-driven rather than demand-driven. Outside of these CNY lines, trading activity remains minimal and selective. Beneath the festive noise, the broader market remains structurally weak, and attention will soon shift back to core demand fundamentals once the holiday passes.
New Arrivals
While festive items currently dominate the floor, fresh seasonal lines are quietly entering the market for buyers looking ahead:
Australian Stonefruits: We are seeing the arrival of premium White Peaches, Queen Garnet Plums ($50.00 SGD for 5kg), and White Nectarines ($36.00 SGD for 10kg).
Australian Sheppard Avocados: Early season Sheppard avocados have just landed, currently priced at $30.00 SGD for a 5kg net.
Star of the Week (Best Value)
South African Cherry Plums
Currently priced at an incredible $8.00 (SGD) for a 10 x 500g carton, these are explicitly marked as "overstock for clearance." This item boasts an unbeatable Quality-to-Price ratio for buyers looking to capture extreme value outside of the traditional CNY categories.
Market Movers
Trending Down: Chilean Cherries
Current Price: $6.00 – $20.00 (SGD) per 2.5kg net, depending on size.
Insight: Prices have dropped severely as sellers defensively cut prices to clear inventory quickly. With ample arrivals already in the market and a limited runway before CNY, this is a heavy clearance cycle rather than an opportunistic demand spike.
Trending Down: China Mandarins
Current Price: As low as $6.00 (SGD) for an 8kg Hong Mei Ren gift box, and $10.00 (SGD) for 4kg Papagan gift boxes.
Insight: A full reset is in progress. The market is showing signs of saturation rather than a shortage. Importers have marked prices down aggressively to accelerate movement while buyers remain cautious.
Holding Firm: Blueberries
Current Price: $34.00 – $36.00 (SGD) for premium Sekoya Pop (Peru/Egypt, 125g x 12).
Insight: In sharp contrast to the broader weak tone, blueberry supply remains structurally tight with no meaningful influx of cheaper options. Prices are holding very firm as it behaves as a supply-driven category.
Quality Report
For the Grape complex, the market remains format-led rather than demand-led, gravitating toward the prepack 10 × 500g as the most liquid SKU. Good-quality red prepacks are currently holding up comparatively better in taste and shelf life. However, caution is advised for China prepack grapes, which continue to struggle with quality inconsistency. Meanwhile, Australian grapes are facing heat stress at origin, resulting in excess volume being pushed into the market and forcing more defensive pricing.
3YY Recommendation
Act fast on clearance, but buy smart. We highly recommend buyers capitalize on the rock-bottom pricing for CNY lines like Chilean cherries and Chinese mandarins to capture immediate margins. However, only purchase near-term requirements as these markets are completely saturated. For your consistent daily trade, secure your Blueberry lines immediately, as the category remains tight. Lastly, start shifting focus toward incoming Australian stone fruits to freshen up your post-CNY retail displays.
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