Juicy local fruits on sale at show

Residents will be able to buy the best locally produced fruits and vegetables in the latest food show at Shanghai Agricultural Exhibition Hall from tomorrow to Sunday.

Locally grown fruits account for about a quarter of the city’s supplies. The exhibition aims to allow residents have easier access to locally produced agricultural products of high quality, including award-winning varieties, and help the city’s farmers sell their produce, the city agricultural commission said yesterday.

The food show has attracted 73 cooperatives from nine districts, featuring more than 300 foods.

In addition to fruits such as grapes from Malu, pears from Cangqiao, and peaches from Fengxian, now all in peak harvest, residents can also buy corn and mushrooms grown on the city’s outskirts.

The commission estimated 700,000 tons of fruit were grown locally in the first half of this year, worth an estimated 4.6 billion yuan (US$685 million).

Prices for some popular fruits such as grapes, peaches and pears have increased from 10 to 15 percent over last year, partly due to better quality and more diverse marketing strategies, the authority said.

The authority has also organized fruit sales in nine parks, and online sales.