You may have already heard about Sichuan for the spices and Yunnan for the tea and cut roses, but did you hear about the growing horticulture market in these two provinces? With our distributor Liang Jinfu and our French substrate expert Jean-Marc Bregeon, we visited several major actors and attended two conferences in these provinces to get some fresh news on the field.
Succulente, anthurium and bromeliad are also top sales in southern China
With this Mediterranean weather, we were expecting diversityof varieties of flower different from Shanghai/Zhejiang/Jiangsu provinces but we were wrong. What we saw were exactly the same aka succulente, anthurium and bromeliad. Jean-Marc said: «Anthurium and bromeliad are attractive to Chinese customers because of the « Chinese flag red color », I hoped some diversity but sadly we did not find here neither. Succulente is easy to propagate, low cost and high margin, but most important is that it is very convenient to deliver by express to customers. No wonder it is also top sales in these provinces ». We visited several growers with good quality greenhouse and equipment who are expending their superficie at high speed to match the growing need of China market for pot flower. In collaboration with our partners, Fulan put in place some tests with WOODPEAT® and HORTIBIO®. Further tests have been implemented to improve our mix. Blueberry, raspberry: need for healthy fruits In Shanghai, one can buy a tiny box of imported blueberry for 20CNY, one medium size Chinese banana.
Blueberry, raspberry: need for healthy fruits
In Shanghai, one can buy a tiny box of imported blueberry for 20CNY, one medium size Chinese banana is 1CNY for comparison. Chinese customers in developed cities are eager to experience new tastes and eat healthy food, blueberry and raspberry are perfect to satisfied these needs.
We met one Australian company which located their headquarter in South part of Yunnan near Viet-Nam borders. They built 20 ha of tunnels the first year and plan to double the area the second year. They use dripping irrigation and soil imported from Holland. The manager said: « Our strategy is to expand as fast as possible to satisfy the market whatever the cost in short term. We adopted a very conservative way of production not to take any risk, we cannot lose time. We copypasted our know-how but we remain opened to suggestion to improve quality ». Actors in different field are grouping themselves into associations Unity is strength, fertilizer suppliers, plant growers, greenhouse makers, logistics company, pot and substrate suppliers grouped themselves into associations to share their insight of the evolution of the Chinese market.
Fulan company got the opportunity to explain how soiless culture is a path that Chinese growers will follow and how important it is to use environment-friendly raw material to protect the natural resources. As peat moss from Baltic countries is depleting and price rising, it is crucial for growers to find an alternative to this material.
