On April 15th, Mr. Menno De Jong, General Manager of the Dutch bulb company Gebr.de Jong, and Mr. Wout Van der Zwet, Deputy General Manager of the cut flower company Zwet Tulip, arrived in Qingdao, China, at the invitation of Beijing G&P Agritech Service Co., LTD. They embarked on a week-long visit to explore the tulip planting, flower market, and distribution channels in China, as well as engage in technical exchanges. In January 2024, Mr. Li Jianwei, Chairman of Gupu, had led his team to the Netherlands to visit Mr. Menno De Jong at Gebr.de Jong's invitation. This trip to China followed their meeting in the Netherlands and was made at Mr. Li Jianwei's invitation for Mr. Menno De Jong to further understand the Chinese flower market and discuss potential collaboration with Gupu.
Gebr. de Jong, a well-known Dutch tulip grower, manages over 500 hectares of bulb farms, including 350 hectares for tulip bulbs and 150 hectares for lily bulbs, boasting the world's most advanced storage and sorting facilities for bulbs. This trip to China also specially invited Mr. Wout Van der Zwet, Deputy General Manager of Zwet Tulip, a leading company in the Dutch cut flower sales sector. Zwet Tulip is an important partner of Gebr. de Jong, with sales channels all around the globe.
During their visit, warmly hosted by Li Jianwei, the Chairman of Gupu, the two Dutch guests gained an in-depth understanding of Gupu's business strategy as well as the current state, market demand, and development potential of China's flower industry. The group visited the Pingdu Guxian Town Tulip Project, invested in, constructed, and operated by Gupu. They observed the growth of tulips and the development of their bulbs firsthand, highly praised the management level of the park, and engaged in in-depth discussions with Gupu's technical staff about tulip cultivation, pest control, and harvesting techniques, offering valuable suggestions.
Subsequently, Menno De Jong and Wout Van der Zwet visited Qingdao's largest local supermarket chain, Liqun Supermarket, the new retail channel Hema Fresh, and some of the local flower markets. Mr. Wout Van der Zwet was pleasantly surprised to see his company's tulip products, which had traveled thousands of miles from the Netherlands to enter the Qingdao market. He learned from the merchants about the Chinese consumers' fondness for their products, which filled him with confidence in the potential of the Chinese market. He also expressed his anticipation for future cooperation with Gup.
Before leaving China, Menno De Jong and Wout Van der Zwet accompanied Mr. Li Jianwei on a visit to QiheShengke Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in Beijing, where they engaged in in-depth discussions on three key areas: the cultivation of new varieties, the utilization of overseas germplasm resources, and market expansion, as well as product innovation.
Menno De Jong and Wout Van der Zwet are unanimous in their belief that China, with its vast market potential and demand, as well as excellent cultivation conditions, presents an exciting prospect for future collaborations. They are confident that through the joint efforts of both parties, the cooperation between China and the Netherlands in tulip cultivation will flourish, bringing new development opportunities to the floral industry of both countries.
