Bureaus Exclusive

International flower show kicks off in Shanghai

By Chen Qide (China Daily Shanghai Bureau)
Updated: 2011-04-13 13:55

SHANGHAI - An international flower show kicked off at the Shanghai International Exhibition Centre on Wednesday, bringing about visitors a chance to glance at various kinds of flowers from home and abroad.

The four-day event, Hortiflorexpo China 2011, was sponsored by China Flower Association to showcase floral products from 18 countries and regions.

"It will be a stimulus to China's flower industry," said Chen Junyu, a well-known floriculturist.

Chen said China, known as the world's flower treasure-house, will consider the flower industry as one of its profitable agricultures, adding that the Netherlands, France, South Korea and Taiwan have sent delegations to the show to display their latest products and concepts.

Local flower industry insiders said the expo will help stimulate people's demand for fresh flowers and the flower consumption is expected to grow by 16 per cent annually in the next several years.

Zhao Liangjun, professor from China Agriculture University, said countries such as the Netherlands, the United States, Japan and Denmark are developing new flower strains, enlarging the production capacity and improving the technologies to ship flowers in order to meet needs of global customers.

Zhao said Thailand is able to export 120 million pieces of orchid to Japan annually after it upgrades its production capability.

"China needs to take great pains to work out a flower planting plan for an increasing consumption," he said.

China planted 834,000 hectares of flowers in 2009, up 7.6 percent over 2008, with sales reaching about 72 billion yuan. Its exports reached $410 million.

Yunnan and Guangdong provinces, two flower-supplying centers in China, now share half of the country's total supply. As one of China's important flower distribution centers, Shanghai has become an attraction to flower businesses from home and abroad, he said.

Shanghai now produces 900 million pieces of flowers and 100 million pots of flowers and plants annually from its 2,133 hectares of land. Its exports to the United States, the Netherlands, Japan and Malaysia were valued at more than $20 million last year.

Show sponsors have invited more than 10 floriculture experts to play the art of inserting flowers for visitors. Seminars will be held to discuss techniques of flower arrangement, experiences of greenhouse management and ways of planting flowers, sponsors said.