Nation Develops Its Flower Power

The flower industry of China is a burgeoning business, but with the planned introduction of more scientific and technological innovation, the industry will come into full bloom over the next five years.

Jiang Zehui, chairwoman of the China Flower Association said this at a forum held during the China Official Trade Show on Floriculture Horticulture.

The four-day trade show kicked off on Wednesday at the Shanghai Mart, organized by the China Flower Association with the aid of Intex Shanghai Co Ltd.

The show occupies 10,000 square metres, 30 per cent more space than was required for the previous show, and has attracted 250 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions such as the Netherlands, France, Germany, the United States and Denmark.

According to the organizers, the show is expected to have more than 40,000 trade visitors from both home and abroad, an indication of how the flower business is flourishing in the city as well as in the country as a whole.

Currently, China has a total flower production area of 122,400 hectares and exports about 260 million flowers annually, Jiang Zehui revealed. The Shanghainese buy about 40 million bouquets of cut flowers annually, according to Cheng Xuke of Shanghai Greenland Committee.

"The flower industry is undergoing rapid development. However, there is still room for improvement, as research in the industry still lags behind that in most developed countries. Statistics reveal that 75 per cent of the seeds and bulbs and 80 per cent of the horticultural machinery in China are imported," said Jiang.

All experts at the forum urged more measures be taken to promote high-tech flower production.

"In the next five years, we should protect seed resources by using high-tech methods, such as setting up gene banks and introducing foreign greenhouse technology," said Jiang.

Protection of new and rare species of flowers is also of prime importance, added Li Yunkun, a deputy director of the State Forestry Administration.






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