Chinese Garlic Season and Global Impact

The Chinese garlic season is a highly orchestrated agricultural cycle that has a massive impact on the global garlic market, as China produces over 75% of the world's garlic.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the Chinese garlic season, from planting to global export.

The Core Growing Cycle

The timing can vary slightly by specific region, but the general schedule is as follows:

• Planting: Late September to early November

• Overwintering: The garlic lies dormant under the soil during the winter.

• Resuming Growth: Early Spring (March)

• Harvesting: Mid-May to late June (This is the most critical period)

• Curing & Drying: June to July

Detailed Month-by-Month Breakdown

1. Pre-Season (July - September)

• Activity: Market analysis, seed garlic preparation, land preparation.

• Market Impact: This is when contracts for the next year's crop are often negotiated. Prices for the old crop can be volatile as supplies dwindle.

2. Planting Season (Late September - November)

• Activity: Farmers plant garlic cloves. The primary planting regions are:

  • Jinxiang County, Shandong: Often called the "Garlic Capital of the World."

  • Henan Province: Another major production hub.

  • Jiangsu Province

• Weather Dependency: Timely planting is crucial for the cloves to establish roots before the winter freeze.

3. Dormant Winter (December - February)

• Activity: The plants are dormant under the soil. A cold winter is actually beneficial as it vernalizes the garlic, leading to proper bulb formation later.

4. Growing Season (March - April)

• Activity: As temperatures rise, the garlic resumes rapid growth. This period requires adequate water and nutrients. Farmers also start harvesting fresh garlic greens and green garlic for local markets.

5. Harvest Season (Mid-May - June) - THE KEY PERIOD

• Activity: This is an all-hands-on-deck period. The exact timing is critical:

  • Harvest too early: Bulbs are small and don't store well.

  • Harvest too late: The bulb wrappers split, reducing quality and shelf life.

• Process: Garlic is pulled from the ground, often by hand, and left in the fields in rows to begin the curing process.

6. Curing & Sorting (June - July)

• Activity: The harvested garlic is sun-dried for 1-3 weeks. This process cures the outer layers into papery skins, which is essential for long-term storage and transport. After curing, the garlic is trimmed (roots and stalks) and sorted by size and quality.

7. Storage & Year-Round Supply (July - Next May)

• Activity: The cured garlic is moved into massive, temperature-controlled cold storage facilities. This is what allows China to supply garlic year-round. The quality of the new crop is assessed, and global export contracts are fulfilled from this stored supply.

Impact on Global Prices and Supply

The Chinese garlic season directly dictates global garlic dynamics:

• Lowest Prices & Peak Supply: July to September. The market is flooded with new-crop garlic.

• Tightening Supply & Rising Prices: January to May. The old-crop supply in cold storage begins to deplete, and prices generally trend upward as the next harvest approaches.

• Price Volatility: Weather events during key growth stages (e.g., a harsh winter or a rainy harvest) in Shandong can cause significant price spikes due to perceived or actual shortages.

Types of Garlic and Their Seasons

• Fresh "Wet" Garlic: Available for a short window just after harvest (June). It has a higher moisture content, juicier cloves, and a milder flavor. It does not store well.

• Cured "Dry" Garlic: This is the standard garlic found in supermarkets worldwide. It's available year-round from cold storage, but its quality and price are determined by the success of the most recent harvest.

Summary

Understanding the Chinese garlic season is key to understanding the global garlic trade. The harvest in May/June is the pivotal event that resets supply and prices for the coming year. The sophisticated cold storage infrastructure then smooths out this supply, ensuring a constant, albeit fluctuating in price, flow of garlic to the rest of the world.

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