Large scale projects, high-tech greenhouses and big investment plans - but also challenging communication and insecure business relationships. The Chinese market is developing and suppliers are jumping in, but it's not a done deal yet. At the Horti China exhibition in Qingdao last week, the industry was present to show their products and share their insights on horticulture.
China is of high interest for the horticultural industry. With a population of almost 1.4 billion people, limited agricultural space, rapid urbanization, a growing middle class and a demand for higher quality vegetables, that might not come as a surprise, and during the show big projects and even bigger plans were discussed.
Herve Savoure, Yue Li & Raphael Seydoux with Richel Greenhouses. Raphael Seydoux joined the company recently and will focus on the Chinese market. 
Mardenkro, Verkade Klimaat, Horti XS, Staalplast, Horticoop & Priva partner with Strategic Partners wit Rui Xue Global.
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Developing industry
The question that remains is if China will continue to be the goose with the golden eggs for suppliers. The Chinese market might be developing, but so is the Chinese supplying industry; and in ongoing projects it is seen that either the company itself or local suppliers take more and more activities into their own hand. The question is if and when a country as developed and with as much potential as China - also not known for its high value of intellectual property - will be able to take also supplying activities in their own hand; or even better, the techniques they're currently provided with.
This for sure is not the case yet, as was evident at the show. The local suppliers offer lower-tech products and the international suppliers showed the high-tech solutions, a clear sign of where the industry is nowadays.
The show itself was organized for the first time in Qingdao, whereas earlier editions were combined with the Agri Food show and were organized in Shanghai. The show was slightly smaller due to this development; however, with the potential the Chinese market offers and the happy faces on especially the first day of the show, that could be changing rapidly.
Strike a pose! Michel Saarloos with Saarlucon, Arjan Paauw with Gavita International, Dennis Dullemans with Agrolux and Niek Luiten with Luiten Greenhouses