The first shipment with Dutch bell peppers have arrived last Friday. The shipment is a result of a market test to monitor the reaction of the Chinese to the Dutch product. For years, the Dutch have been working on market access for the peppers. If all goes well, the first commercial batches can be exported to China in 2017.
Both bell and pointed peppers, in nice orange boxes, arrived in Guangzhou and Shanghai on Thursday. Fruitday, Supafresh and Metro Supermarkets are the supposed buyers of the first Dutch bell peppers on the Chinese market.
The first Dutch peppers to China - photograph Twitter Xiaoyong Zhang
The export of peppers to China is a long-term project. Last year important steps were taken. Sharon Dijksma, former State Secretary Economics, signed an agreement with the Chinese government about the export of products from seven Dutch farms to China last year.
The Netherlands are one of the first countries to supply peppers to China. "The demand for high quality, safe products is increasing," states State Secretary Dijksma. "China looks to the Netherlands for its innovative and sustainable greenhouses."