Bring tulips home.
Tulips, originally from the Tibetan and Xinjiang regions of China, entered Turkey through the ancient Silk Road and appeared on the European continent. At the end of the 16th century, the Netherlands began to introduce tulip cultivation. Tulips are the national flowers of both the Netherlands and Turkey, possessing high ornamental and economic value. Currently, China's tulip bulb breeding scale is relatively small, mainly relying on imports from the Netherlands. In 2023, a tulip-focused bulbous flower planting base was established in Guxian Town, Pingdu City, Qingdao, aiming to create the "Qingdao Tulip Project",. Qingdao Gupu International Modern Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., as the project investor, will focus on the layout in tulip bulbs, fresh-cut flowers production, post-harvest treatment, and sales.
On January 18, 2024, a delegation of four from Gupu was invited to visit Europe to inspect and discuss cooperation with leading Dutch tulip industry enterprises such as Gebr.de.Jong, Havatec, Wesselman Flowers, Sercom, Eval, and Hortilife. This inspection marks the beginning of strategic cooperation between Gupu and global suppliers and partners in the horticulture, landscaping, and floriculture sectors, who are also confident and looking forward to their collaboration with Gupu.
In the future, Gupu will introduce excellent Dutch tulip project, advanced planting experiences, and automated equipment into the " Qingdao Tulip Project”. It aims to establish it as a benchmark for field and greenhouse flower cultivation in China. The goal is to build China's leading brand for tulip bulbs and fresh cut flowers, supporting Qingdao's national strategy of becoming an "International Seed Capital." In collaboration with Dutch partners, there's also an active effort to explore markets in ASEAN, East Asia, Central Asia, Ukraine, and Russia.
European companies invited to share their experiences
01Gebr.de.Jong
Gebr. de Jong is a major tulip grower in the Netherlands, with 350 hectares of bulb fields and advanced storage and sorting facilities. We have efficiently established a cooperative plan, and their passion for collaboration is fueled by Gupu industrial planning in China.
02Havatec
Havatec is an international supplier offering sorting, bundling, and processing machinery for the cut flower industry. Develop and manufacture high-tech machines equipped with advanced control units and camera systems for inspecting and processing flowers and bulbs.
03Wesselman Flowers
Wesselman Flowers is one of the most advanced tulip growers in the Netherlands, specializing in a market and customer-oriented approach. Mr. Joost Wesselman, the director and investor, gave us an in-depth tour of their production greenhouses. He showcased the entire process from growing tulip cut flowers to harvesting bulbs, cleaning, air ventilation for dividing at room temperature, and cold storage. They have established a complete industrial chain in the tulip industry, ranging from production and processing to sales.
Joost operates three greenhouses with different configurations and a flower packaging factory, covering high-end markets such as the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK. The greenhouses and packaging factory utilize advanced inventory and order management systems, while also undergoing upgrades to their labor-saving logistics and packaging systems to continuously improve workflow efficiency. Mr. Joost also shared with us his 3.5-hectare cut flower greenhouse renovation project. A similar project for fresh cut flowers is currently in the planning stages in China, marking an important collaborative project between the two parties.
04Sercom
Upon revisiting Sercom, we were received with high-level hospitality from the company's executives. Sercom is a leading developer and manufacturer globally recognized for its climate computers and irrigation computers. They also possess highly specialized technology in control systems for storage facilities of tulips, potatoes, and more. Both parties reached a significant consensus on cooperation and market development in China.
05Eval
During the final part of our trip, we visited Eval, an expert in Dutch tulip post-harvest processing, drying, cold storage, and control. Our development plans greatly excited them, and they expressed interest in cooperation. They are also keen on developing a supply chain from China to source refrigeration and dehumidification equipment made in China, aiming to provide cost-effective solutions for their customers.
06Hortilife.B.V
During this trip to Europe, we once again engaged in discussions with Hortilife B.V., a global leader in commercial greenhouses. Hortilife is a shareholder of our joint venture, Hortivalue, specializing in the cultivation of indoor vegetables, flowers, and fruits under challenging climatic conditions. They cater to all requirements for optimized greenhouse solutions based on clients' business models, technological levels or needs, crop selection, and investment returns.
Hortilife possesses its own factory, design and engineering firm, as well as a service department. For over 30 years, Hortilife has been providing commercial greenhouses to growers worldwide. Our Dutch colleague Arne shared information about our business models and projects in China and the Middle East, while Mr. Adrie discussed their commercial greenhouse projects in Russia, Mexico, Romania, and the Netherlands. Both parties reaffirmed the global cooperation model in the smart greenhouse sector and decided to jointly build a smart greenhouse equipment base in China.
In early April, our partners will visit us on a business trip to discuss and establish further cooperation models for jointly launching the Tulip China business.
Empowering Industrial Development
China's continuous expansion in flower cultivation area has made it the world's largest flower planting country, with a growing trend in total production and sales volume of major categories of flowers. However, there are still pain points in the industry such as scattered cultivation, difficulty in controlling supply; backwardness in research and development; lack of infrastructure for cold storage of fresh flowers, and low professionalism leading to high loss rates during storage and transportation. At the same time, there is a significant gap between China and advanced foreign countries in terms of planting and picking technology, as well as the degree of modernization in cultivation.
Gupu will uphold the values of "Openness, Inclusiveness, Altruism, and Rules", wishing to work with domestic and international partners to jointly promote the meticulous and intelligent development of China's floriculture. We are committed to ensuring the quality and safety of floral products comprehensively, and driving the green and sustainable development of the floriculture industry.
