**Bali’s manggis harvest runs mainly December through February — the peak window inside Indonesia’s national November–March season. Highland orchards around Payangan, Pupuan and Karangasem carry most of the load, with January and February the deepest supply, and, as of 2026, the tightest against China’s Lunar New Year buying.**
Timing is everything in mangosteen export. Miss the peak by three weeks and you pay more for smaller, patchier fruit; hit it early and you can fill a reefer with clean Super grade at the season’s best price. This calendar breaks down what Bali actually delivers month by month, and what each window means for booking.
When does Bali’s mangosteen season actually start?
The first pickable lots usually appear in late October and November, in warmer highland pockets where flowering ran ahead. These early fruits are thin in volume and inconsistent in size — useful for testing buyers, not for filling containers. Real commercial supply opens in December and holds through February.
Because manggis fruits once a year off the wet-season flush, there is no reliable second crop in Bali. When the season closes around March, it closes hard. That single-window reality is why working with an experienced Bali mangosteen exporter means locking orchard allocation before the December ramp, when demand from China starts pulling volume out of the highlands faster than casual buyers expect.
One caution: these dates are indicative. Harvest timing shifts year to year with rainfall, elevation and orchard management, so treat any calendar — including this one — as a planning guide, not a guarantee.
What does the month-by-month Bali calendar look like?
Here is the practical availability picture for Bali manggis, as of 2026:
| Month | Bali supply | What it means for export |
|---|---|---|
| January | Peak | Heaviest, cleanest volume; best Super-grade availability; pre-Lunar-New-Year rush |
| February | Peak, tapering late | Strong supply early; China demand at its highest before the holiday |
| March | Tail-end | Volume thins, size and finish more variable; grade sorting gets stricter |
| April–September | Off-season | Negligible commercial volume; not a sourcing window |
| October | Pre-season | Scattered early fruit in warm pockets; sample lots only |
| November | Season onset | First real commercial lots; sizes still building |
| December | Ramp to peak | Volume climbs quickly; the main sourcing gate opens |
The takeaway: your usable window for container-scale Bali manggis is roughly December to early March, with January and February the sweet spot for both volume and grade.
How does Bali fit the national November–March window?
Indonesia’s mangosteen harvest is not one synchronized event. It rolls across islands and elevations, which is what lets exporters stretch a supply calendar wider than any single region allows. Bali sits in the core of the national peak but is only one origin among several.
| Origin | Typical peak | Role |
|---|---|---|
| West Java (Jabar) | December–February | Large-volume backbone, close to Tanjung Priok |
| West Sumatra (Sumbar) | November–January | Early and mid-season, strong Super-grade reputation |
| North Sumatra (Sumut) | October–January | Often opens the national season first |
| Bali | December–February | Peak-window supply feeding Denpasar and Surabaya logistics |
For a buyer, this means a shortfall in Bali during a soft year can sometimes be covered from Sumatra or West Java without leaving the national November–March band — though freight routing, packhouse registration and grade consistency all change when you switch origin.
Why does harvest timing decide your export price?
Price tracks the calendar closely. At peak, clean large fruit is abundant and grading is easy; at the tail, the same buyers chase a shrinking pool of export-quality manggis and pay for it. Grade in mangosteen is set by fruit-count per kilogram — Super runs around 10 fruit per kg, while smaller grades run 15–20 fruit per kg.
Indicative FOB bands, as of 2026 (these move with panen, grade and season; a final quote confirms grade, size, destination and MOQ):
| Grade | Fruit count | FOB band (2026, indicative) |
|---|---|---|
| FAQ / lower grade | 15–20 fruit/kg | USD 1.5–2.5 /kg |
| Standard export (A) | ~12–15 fruit/kg | USD 2.2–3.0 /kg |
| Premium / Super | ~10 fruit/kg | USD 2.8–3.8 /kg (rare lots near USD 4) |
The working range sits around USD 2–3.5/kg FOB. Note that any China wholesale landed price you may see quoted runs higher than this — it includes freight, duty and importer margin, and is not an origin FOB quote.
Peak months protect price on both sides: you get more Super grade in the mix, and pre-cooling and reefer scheduling are easier when packhouses are running at full tempo.
When should you book reefer space and confirm grade?
Because Bali’s window is narrow and collides with China’s biggest demand spike, lead time is the whole game. In early 2026, Bali manggis shipments to China jumped several-fold in the month before Lunar New Year — the kind of surge that fills reefer slots and packhouse schedules well ahead of the fruit itself.
A workable booking rhythm for the peak:
- September–October: Confirm target grade, carton spec (5, 8 or 10 kg) and destination port — Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou or Hong Kong.
- November: Lock orchard and packhouse allocation; reserve reefer space for December–February.
- December: First peak-grade lots ship; MOQ typically 1–3 MT scaling toward a full reefer of ~10–25 MT.
- January–February: Run at volume through the Lunar New Year window; keep grade sampling tight as March approaches.
- March: Close out remaining commitments before supply and finish quality drop off.
Export still moves through the same documentation regardless of month — registered-packhouse (OKKPD) approval, phytosanitary certificate, GAP, invoice, packing list and certificate of origin — and no calendar removes the need to meet China’s cosmetic and pest-free standards on every batch. What the calendar does is tell you when the fruit, the grade and the freight all line up. In Bali, that alignment is December to February. Everything else is preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which months give the best Super-grade Bali mangosteen?
January and February, as of 2026. During Bali’s peak the fruit runs largest and cleanest, so a higher share sorts into Super (around 10 fruit per kg). December is close behind as volume ramps. By March, Super grade thins out and buyers compete for a shrinking pool of top fruit.
Can I source Bali mangosteen outside the November–March window?
Not reliably at container scale. Bali manggis fruits once a year off the wet-season flush, so April through September is effectively off-season with negligible commercial volume. If you need fruit outside Bali’s window, other Indonesian origins such as North Sumatra can open earlier, but that means switching packhouse and freight routing.
How far ahead should I book for the Lunar New Year peak?
Start in September or October. In early 2026, Bali shipments to China rose several-fold in the month before Lunar New Year, which fills reefer slots and packhouse schedules fast. Confirming grade, carton spec and destination port two to three months out gives the best chance at peak allocation and stable FOB pricing.