To promote the high-quality development of the flower industry, the country will promote independent innovation in the flower seed industry
China plans the modernisation of the flower industry by 2035, with annual flower sales surpassing 700 billion yuan ($101.28 billion), according to Xinhua news agency.
As of 2035, China will basically develop a comprehensive system for flower germplasm resources protection, with the market share of major home-bred varieties reaching 25 per cent, according to the development plan jointly issued by multiple government organs including the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
To promote the high-quality development of the flower industry, the country will promote independent innovation in the flower seed industry, optimise the industrial chains and supply chains in the flower industry, and strengthen technology innovation in the sector, according to the development plan.
China’s floriculture industry is valued at more than $11 billion, with 90 per cent of the fresh flowers produced consumed in China, According to China Horticultural Business Services. China’s cut flower industry began in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong in 1984, it is now principally centred in Yunnan province. Daily, the region sees over 10 million flowers sold through auction at the cavernous Dounan Flower Market located in Yunnan’s capital of Kunming.
As China’s largest fresh-cut flower market in terms of both trade volume and export value for 23 consecutive years, Dounan has become the largest fresh-cut flower trading market in Asia, with a product portfolio of fresh-cut flowers, bonsai, green seedlings, and gardening materials. As Asia’s largest fresh-cut flower trading market with a yearly trade volume of 11 billion, the Dounan Flower Market is considered a reliable barometer of the performance of China’s flower markets. The world’s largest cut-flower auction at the Aalsmeer Flower Market in the Netherlands sees 16 million auctioned daily. Yunnan accounts for 70 per cent of the cut-flower trade in China and is now looking to become Asia’s largest as well as to become a key player in global floriculture.
In Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Centre, more than 1,500 varieties of fresh-cut flowers from more than 40 categories, such as rose, Barberton daisy, carnation, and Hydrangea, are traded in over 50 countries and regions including Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Russia, and Australia through auction transactions.
Flower farmers and florists from Yunnan province pack fresh-cut flowers and transport them to Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Centre every morning. Every bouquet must undergo strict inspection and get a rating before the auction.
To improve flower trading efficiency, Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Centre has constantly enhanced trading modes. The centre also took the initiative and introduced a number of e-commerce live broadcast platforms to boost flower sales and income for flower merchants and farmers.
Dounan, Kunming, has also gradually built a one-stop logistics station for collection, cargo allocation, security inspection, and delivery at the leading regional airports in Yunnan Province, to build a terminal logistics and distribution system. Fresh-cut flowers can arrive at the terminal market between 24 to 48 hours after they are picked.
After years of development, Dounan owns two well-known trademarks of the Chinese flower industry, ‘Dounan’ and ‘KIFA’. Dounan is more than a flower planting land but a complex platform for auctions, logistics, R&D, agricultural resources, tourism, etc., and has attracted over 4,000 related enterprises. The solid domestic and foreign markets have jointly infused Dounan’s flower industry with great potential.
China’s development plan specified measures to elevate flower quality, accelerate the digitalisation of the flower industry, and promote flower consumption upgrades.
China now is the world’s largest flower producer, an important participant in the foreign trade of flowers, and a major flower consumer.
Shraddha Warde
shraddha.warde@mmactiv.com
