Conference pears could be the first of many such items

Beijingers will be able to buy Belgian Conference pears from local supermarkets in one month, heralding the start of what is likely to be an influx of imported fresh fruits and meats.

The first batch of the pears - weighing more than 17,000 kilograms - arrived at the port of Shanghai on Jan 24 and will be transported to the shelves of the capital's stores after the Spring Festival.

The popular pears will initially only be available through supermarkets, including Carrefour and Wal-Mart, but will eventually be rolled out to be sold through local wholesale markets, said Marc Evrard, the market development manager with Belgische Fruitveiling (BFV), which is the supplier.

The Conference pear will be the first non-native variety of pear available in the capital. Evrard said the pear is hardy and can easily survive the five-week journey to China.

Negotiations about the importation of the pear took three and a half years to complete but the successful end of the process could open the door to other fresh products from Europe.

Belgium is understood to want to export other products to China including bees, horses and pork.

"We plan to export seven types of product to China eventually and I hope that process will begin this year," said Michel Gerebtzoff, first secretary of the embassy of Belgium.

According to Belgium Unlimited China, the website of the Belgian embassy in Beijing, Chinese people eat 15 billion kilograms of pears a year, leaving plenty of room in the juicy market for a new product.

The Conference pear will sell for around 4 yuan each, which is more than double the price of domestic pears.

Meanwhile, the price of native fruits in Beijing's markets has been rising considerably and is now much higher than this time last year.

At Xinfadi market, the largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Beijing, native pears are now selling for up to half a yuan more per kilogram than they were at the end of November.

A director from the China Fruit Marketing Association told Beijing News on Monday that the coming Spring Festival, when gifts of fresh fruit are popular, is likely to drive up the price even more.

The Beijing Mirror Evening News reported that recent rises in the cost of fruit have mainly been down to falls in the temperature in the south, which have impacted picking and transportation costs.