Chinese governments and companies realize that the production per farm is too low. This is caused by the small scale of the farms (on average around ½ ha), the still primitive technology (mainly in soil, without climate control) and limited knowledge on cultivation. Many local companies wish, often with support from local authorities, to
develop in both scale and quality. Given the large backlog compared with the Netherlands (usually> 40 years), this development will in general not directly be aimed at achieving the quality of Dutch horticulture in a single step. Dutch companies can, however, play a commercial role in this process. Dutch floricultural companies, which are mostly located in Yunnan, are currently all expanding their production capacity. Dutch horticultural project managers are hired more often, and demand for Dutch greenhouse equipment is growing. Activities of Dutch companies in China vary from a production site, an agent, a distributor, delivery to a Chinese importer or advisory. A suitable form should be found per product / market combination and based on the specific opportunities and obstacles. There is no standard formula. Governmental priorities in China are: increasing food supply (self sufficiency) and food safety (using less pesticides, hormones, etc.), higher income level of farmers and more product varieties. Financial incentives are mostly the responsibility of provincial or local authorities. Besides, authorities are often subsidising modern greenhouse development, mostly in combination with real estate development and ecological tourism.

Horticulture opportunities in China (2)