The event 'Understanding and developing ornamental horticulture in China' that took place on February 23 received the interest of 300 people from 48 countries, who registered, and more than half attending the live event facilitated by experienced webinar organiser, Jungle Talks. The event was organized by International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) and its magazine, FloraCulture International (FCI)
Five key presenters who currently work in China, were ready to illuminate in abundance the opportunities and challenges in this country’s market.
“At first the e-platforms had difficulties managing quality, now they are so well-organised the quality is often better than from a traditional flower shop,” says Wouter Verhey, an agricultural counsellor at the Dutch Embassy in Beijing.
He continues, “E-commerce has more than trebled since 2015 and was worth €4.6 billion in 2019. We expect it to reach €6.2 billion this year. It is becoming the primary route to the fast-expanding Chinese middle class.
“There’s a real vibrant energy in the horticulture market here now,” says Arnoud Touw, the Asia business manager for international fertiliser and growing media supplier ICL who has worked in China for 30 years. “You can really feel the industry making huge strides.”
Presenter Julienne Zhu represented the Nursery Stock section of the China Flower Association (CFA), the industry’s most potent voice. She adds that consumers are becoming more aware of brands, which means marketing and promotion need more sophistication.
“Low-tech growers are ‘scaling up’ while there has been a shift from mid- to high-tech at large young plant companies,” says Mr Just Roos on behalf of horticultural engineering company Codema Cultivation Systems from the Netherlands.
Joining the table’s discussion was Ms Katherine Fan Young, the sales manager at Dutch-based Holex, arguably among the big players in exporting flowers from the Netherlands to China. She says, “Demand for quality and service is increasing. Customers want more transparency and traceability. There will be more potential in supermarket retail though high volumes are not yet there.”
Mr Verhey adds, “Ambitions are high. With the ornamental horticulture and landscape industries already worth an estimated 20 billion US dollars, there is plenty of scope for growth and new business.”
He suggests the first step for those wishing to understand China’s market should be to participate in activities organised by your country’s embassy or trade mission where these officials can put traders formally in touch with partners.
“Even though the pandemic makes travelling to China impossible at present these are still happening online and at hybrid events,” he says.
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