Authors: Zhang Wentao, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences; Xu Zhifeng, Yunnan Zhongcen Consulting Company; Wu Fan, Southwest Forestry University.
In recent years, China's flower consumption demand has increased at a rate of 10%-20% per year, and China has become the world's largest flower producer. At the same time, the flower industry is also an important industry to enrich the people, which has a positive significance for rural revitalization and farmers' prosperity. At present, China has basically formed a flower production area dominated by Yunnan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Henan, Shandong and Fujian. As one of the important areas of flower production in China, Yunnan has unique advantages in terms of climatic conditions and resource advantages, and is known as the "world's three major flower producing areas" with Kenya, Ethiopia in Africa and Ecuador and Colombia in South America.
After more than 30 years of development, Yunnan's flower industry has gradually expanded from Dounan to the entire central Yunnan region, and has become one of the most advantageous green emerging industries in the province. Yunnan's flower planting area and output value growth rate rank first in the world, and the production and sales of fresh cut flowers account for more than 50% of the national market share, laying its position as the center of fresh cut flowers in Asia. Vietnam is a traditional flower consumer in the ASEAN region, and the consumption of flowers has always been in the forefront of ASEAN, and has been the largest market for Yunnan flower exports since 2004. At the same time, the central region of Vietnam is suitable for flower cultivation, and there is also a tradition of industrial flower planting. Due to the different development bases and environments of Yunnan and Vietnam, there are also significant differences in the development level of the flower industry, and both sides have their own comparative advantages.
The year 2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Vietnam, and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will pay a state visit to Vietnam. The leaders of China and Vietnam have strengthened strategic communication and drawn up a blueprint and guided the direction of China-Vietnam relations in the new era. Yunnan Province should seize the development opportunity, use flowers as a medium, and strive to promote in-depth cooperation and exchanges between the two sides in the flower industry.
The development of the flower industry in Yunnan and Vietnam.
Yunnan Province is the world's largest producer of cut flowers. The main dominant varieties of flowers in Yunnan Province are roses, carnations, lilies, bellflowers, gerberas, and hydrangeas. Kunming Dounan Flower Market is Asia's largest fresh cut flower trading market, flowers are exported to more than 50 countries and regions, every year in the Dounan Flower Market trading fresh cut flowers have more than 110 categories, more than 1,600 varieties. At the same time, Yunnan is also one of the largest production bases of potted plants and succulents in China. In addition to the large volume of fresh-cut flowers, the number of new flower varieties introduced and independently developed in Yunnan ranks first in the country. Yunnan Province has a green and efficient flower production and planting area of more than 30,000 acres, and the province has identified 101 flower industry bases as "green food brands". In terms of exports, Yunnan Province's fresh cut flower exports maintained the first place in the country. Yunnan to Myanmar Ruili port, to Laos Mohan port have opened a fresh cut flower cold chain car "green channel", of which Mohan port has become the largest export of flowers in Yunnan Province land port, the main export markets for flowers for Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, Australia and other countries and regions. In terms of imports, lily bulbs for planting accounted for about four-fifths of the total import value of flower-related commodities in Yunnan Province, which is also a reflection of the high dependence of Yunnan's flower industry on imported seeds.
Vietnam has many large-scale flower planting areas, such as Lam Dong Province, which has a suitable diurnal temperature and flat land, which is suitable for large-scale flower planting and production, and is considered to be the best land in the country for the development of tropical and temperate flowers. At present, the flower planting area in Vietnam is about 100,000 hectares, of which about 30,000 hectares are planted with roses, lilies, carnations and other major flowers. Vietnam's flower import market is mainly composed of merchants, importers and distributors, who are mainly located in Yunnan and are responsible for the production and production of flowers; The importer is responsible for purchasing flowers from ** merchants and going through import procedures; Distributors distribute imported flowers to various end markets. Vietnam's port industry is well developed, the transportation conditions are good, and with the entry into force of the free agreements signed by Vietnam and many countries and regions, Vietnam's flower products have shown great potential and the export scale is growing. In 2022, Vietnam's flower exports reached nearly US$67 million. Among them, chrysanthemums accounted for about four-fifths of the total exports, and phalaenopsis also showed a significant increase. In addition to meeting domestic demand, Vietnam also exports to Australia, the Middle East, Japan, South Korea, China and other countries and regions, among which Japan is Vietnam's largest flower export market in Asia and the fourth largest flower exporter in the world. Although the scale of Vietnam's flower exports continues to expand, there are still problems in the flower industry, such as uneven product quality and backward preservation technology. In order to promote the sustainable and healthy development of the flower industry and improve the competitiveness of flower products in the international market, Vietnam is encouraging the transformation of flower planting from the traditional planting mode to the high-tech application planting model, and by actively participating in various domestic and foreign flower exhibition and sales activities, establish the brand image of Vietnamese flowers.
Suggestions on the cooperation path of Yunnan-Vietnam flower industry.
In recent years, the cooperation between Yunnan and Vietnam in the flower industry has become more and more frequent. From the perspective of industrial investment, there are flower companies in Yunnan that have set up planting bases in central Vietnam. From the point of view, Yunnan's flower exports to Vietnam show a fluctuating upward trend, among them, roses are the largest variety of flowers exported by Yunnan to Vietnam, accounting for more than half of the flower exports to Vietnam. In addition, the export volume of varieties such as lilies, gerberas, and carnations has also increased. There is a certain gap between the production scale, development stage and development focus of the flower industry between Yunnan and Vietnam, which provides a broad space for future exchanges and cooperation.
Establish a cooperation mechanism for the flower industry. With the increasingly close economic and trade relations between the two sides, a cooperation mechanism for the flower industry can be established, such as the establishment of a joint working group and the establishment of a regular exchange mechanism. These guarantees can promote cooperation and communication between the two sides and solve problems in cooperation in a timely manner. A joint working group composed of representatives of the flower industry of the two places will be set up to coordinate and promote the cooperation and development of the flower industry of the two places. Regularly hold activities such as dialogue between enterprises and exchange visits by entrepreneur delegations to strengthen contact and communication. Formulate actionable cooperation plans and policies, clarify goals, tasks and measures, and promote the continuous deepening of cooperation.
Give full play to the advantages of resources and communicate with each other. The abundant native germplasm resources of Yunnan and Vietnam have laid a good foundation for the cooperation between the two sides in flower variety resources. Yunnan and Vietnam have their own advantages in flower varieties, planting technology, market demand, etc., which can strengthen exchanges, communicate with each other, and help the safety of germplasm resources. Yunnan's roses, lilies and other varieties are very popular in the domestic and foreign markets, while Vietnam's chrysanthemum varieties also have characteristics and advantages, and the two sides can jointly develop new varieties to improve market competitiveness. Regularly hold flower industry development forums and seminars, invite flower industry experts, entrepreneurs and representatives of the two places to participate, and jointly develop the development trend, market dynamics and technological innovation of the flower industry; Jointly plan and implement some flower industry cooperation projects, such as joint planting bases, joint research and development of new varieties, etc., to deepen the cooperative relationship with each other through specific projects; Encourage and support the establishment of cooperative relations between flower enterprises in the two places, strengthen exchanges and cooperation between enterprises through mutual visits, inspections and business negotiations, and jointly explore the international market; Relying on China's estuary and Vietnam's Lao Cai, we will break the bottleneck of Hekou Port in the import of flowers, dredge the Kunming-Hekou-Lao Cai-Hanoi flower land transportation channel, improve transportation efficiency, and establish an efficient flower circulation system. Improve the functions of the flower market at all levels, strengthen the construction of infrastructure such as warehousing, transportation, and information networks in the flower market, and standardize market management and market services. Establish a flower logistics industry standard system, focusing on supporting a number of comprehensive flower trading markets with wide radiation, large distribution volume and efficient operation. Use information technology to establish a two-sided market supply and demand information platform, an online trading platform, and so on.
Strengthen cooperation in the field of science and technology to promote industrial upgrading. Vietnam's flower industry is changing from the traditional extensive development mode based on quantity expansion to the modern management mode based on quality and efficiency improvement, and there is an urgent need to improve the technical level in the process of production, management and operation. Yunnan's agricultural development started earlier, and it has really moved from a large province in the flower industry to a strong province in the flower industry, but due to the influence of factors such as geographical resources and labor costs, it has not yet exerted the maximum benefits. It is necessary to actively guide the flower industry to take the path of digital and intelligent development, and accelerate the deep integration of modern information technology such as the Internet of Things, big data, and 5G with the flower industry. The two sides can carry out exchanges and cooperation in flower planting technology, preservation technology, packaging technology, etc., jointly improve the technical level and promote industrial upgrading. On the one hand, a joint R&D center has been established in flower planting technology, preservation technology, packaging technology, etc., to jointly develop new technologies and improve production efficiency. On the other hand, it actively participates in international flower industry technology exchange activities, such as international flower exhibitions, technical seminars, etc., to enhance the influence of both parties in the international flower industry. Support leading flower enterprises, family farms, professional cooperative organizations, etc. to apply advanced and applicable digital technology and intelligent equipment, and transform and improve the digital level of production and processing, operation and management, sales and service. Organize and coordinate the construction of digital infrastructure in key production areas, industrial parks, and industrial clusters, and use digital technology and equipment to improve production, management, and service capabilities, and greatly improve overall operational efficiency.
Open up the market and enhance international competitiveness. With the rapid development of Vietnam's economy, the consumption and amount of flowers are accelerating year by year, and the huge market potential provides space for both sides to invest in flowers and industries. At the same time, Yunnan's advanced experience and good foundation in international operation can also create conditions for the two sides to strengthen industrial cooperation and jointly expand the international market. Yunnan and Vietnam can jointly explore the international market and improve the visibility and competitiveness of the flower industry. For example, jointly participate in the international flower exhibition, flower fair and other activities, strengthen market publicity and promotion, open up sales channels, strengthen contact with the international market, jointly develop the international market, use their respective market advantages, and improve the international competitiveness of the flower industry on both sides.
Strengthen personnel training and exchanges. Yunnan and Vietnam can jointly cultivate professionals with international vision and innovation ability, and provide talent guarantee for the sustainable development of the flower industry in the two places. The two sides of colleges and universities, agriculture-related vocational colleges and other improve the flower-related professional setting and talent training system, and increase the cultivation of professionals and comprehensive talents in the field of flowers. Strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two sides and agriculture-related colleges and universities, and entrust the cultivation of flower professionals. Strengthen the construction of grassroots agricultural technology promotion team, organize and carry out professional and technical training on flowers, and improve the ability of guidance services. Carry out demonstration training for local talents, and cultivate a group of new professional flower farmers who are educated, understand technology, know how to operate, and are good at management. Pay attention to the role of local talents, leaders in the revitalization of rural industries, and representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, and consolidate the talent base for industrial development. Relying on colleges and universities, vocational colleges, scientific research institutes, floral training institutions, etc., a number of training centers, training bases and experimental teaching bases have been established to carry out vocational skills training and skill appraisal for flower horticulturists, flower arrangers, bonsai artists, etc., and regularly hold skill exchange activities to continuously expand the team of high-skilled talents and stimulate industrial innovation and creativity.
Editor-in-charge: Su Yuxiao).