Norway eyes seafood exports to China
Norway has come up with an ambitious plan to dramatically increase its seafood exports to China, and expects the trade to be worth 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) by 2025, the Norwegian Seafood Council said on Wednesday at a news conference in Beijing.
"The plan is based on Chinese consumers' preference for Norwegian seafood, coupled with projected growth in second- and third-tier cities in China," said the Norwegian Seafood Council's director for the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, Sigmund Bjorgo.
"Norway, famous for its excellent quality salmon － with around 55 percent of all farmed salmon globally, aims to solidify its position in the salmon market in China, while growing the markets for other top quality seafood products as well."
The council, which comes under the country's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, said it aims to see Norwegian salmon consumption reach 156,000 metric tons in China and Norwegian arctic cod consumption to reach 40,000 tons by 2025, along with increased consumption of other species including halibut, mackerel, lumpfish, snow crab and king crab.
It also plans to establish a firm foothold in China for species including sea cucumber, blue mussels, mackerel and cold water shrimp.
Norway's seafood exports to China in 2016 were worth 2 billion yuan, and consumption of Norwegian salmon in China has grown 300 percent since 2011, it said.
It is believed China will become Norway's largest importer of its seafood soon as 51 percent of Chinese consumers already expressed a strong preference for Norwegian salmon in 2017, said the council.
"Norway is strongly committed to working with local government and business partners to ensure increased exports of seafood from Norway to China," said Per Sandberg, Norway's fisheries minister.
"Norwegian seafood companies are eager to supply Chinese consumers with more healthy and sustainable seafood."
The council's target for exports to China was unveiled one day after 140 Norwegian seafood industry representatives met their Chinese counterparts in Beijing, representing the industry's largest ever trade delegation to a foreign country.
The President of the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance Cui He said with the growing spending power of China's middle class and the good quality of Norwegian salmon, seafood sales are expected to further expand in the coming years.
"It will take hard work from both the Chinese and Norwegian sides to achieve the goals, but given the market conditions in China and Norway's strong seafood infrastructure, it's just a matter of time."
Source: China Daily Date: 2017-05-25
California almond exporters eye rich growth potential in China market
The growing spending power of China's middle class and its increasing interest in healthy food are creating good conditions for exports of Californian almonds, said Richard Waycott, chief executive officer of the Almond Board of California.
Waycott told China Daily on Tuesday that the total volume of California's almond exports to China reached 58.97 million kilograms this year to date, an increase of 21 percent year-on-year.
Based on this trend, he said, China is very likely to regain its position as the No1 export market for Californian almonds this year.
Exports of the nut to China hit a record high five years ago, reaching 104.33 million kg annually. However, consecutive droughts in the subsequent years resulted in lower crop yields at a time of growing demand, consequently pushing up prices and affecting Chinese imports.
Founded in 1950, the Almond Board of California is a nonprofit industry association under the supervision of the US Department of Agriculture.
China has been the board's largest investment destination outside the US in terms of public relations, advertising and consumer education, said Waycott. Last year, it started to work with Chinese retail brands including California Field, Be & Cheery and Qiaqia, and will extend its cooperation to Bestore and Tongnianji in 2017.
Consumers in first-tier cities are the board's current focus in China. Its partnerships with Chinese retailers have established its presence across the country, and it will reach out further to potential customers in lower-tier cities through e-commerce platforms, said Waycott.
"The rising middle class has been part of our growth in China so far. Almonds are becoming much more available, especially with e-commerce. It also fits well with the government's dietary recommendations on healthy eating," he added.
As the world's major producer of almonds, California currently accounts for around 82 percent of global production. Around 71 percent of California's almond output is destined for overseas markets.
Between 2012 and 2017, around 75 percent of almonds in the Chinese market originated from the US.
Fitch Ratings said earlier this month that the shift toward healthy lifestyles is the key theme emerging in China's consumption patterns. As a result, consumers who are becoming increasingly affluent are willing to spend more on health-oriented foodstuffs such as nuts and seeds.
Source: China Daily Date: 2017-05-24
Japanese firms eye organic agriculture in An Giang, Vietnam
Japanese businesses have expressed their wish to invest in organic agriculture and agricultural tourism in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.
Toshitsugu Hagihara, General Director of Hagihara Company – one of Japan’s leading businesses in organic agriculture, told local leaders at a working session on May 23 that his company wants to plant mask melon in glass houses using Japan’s cutting-edge technologies, in the province.
Hagihara Company will firstly analyse soil samples in An Giang to put forth a suitable cultivation process and then send leading experts to the locality to transfer farming techniques to local farmers, he said.
If the work proves effective, the company will build factories processing farm produce, helping musk melon and other agricultural products of An Giang penetrate the Japanese market through supermarket chains.
Although An Giang has favourable conditions for organic agriculture, local farmers have yet to meet requirements of organic agriculture, he said.
Koichiro Abe, Director of Raycean Company, said Raycean and Hagihara are confident to become An Giang’s important and long-term partner in organic agriculture and agricultural tourism development in order to raise competitiveness of local farm produce.
Vuong Binh Thanh, Chairman of the An Giang People’s Committee, pledged that local authorities will help the Japanese businesses with legal procedures, promotion and technology transfer.
He highlighted low-cost labour force and production as advantages of An Giang despite its limitations in infrastructure.
A project to transfer technologies between An Giang and Hagihara is expected to be implemented in 2017, under which four musk melon farms will be built in Tinh Bien, Chau Doc, Chau Thanh and Thoai Son districts.
Source: Vietnam plus Date: 2017-05-24
A night to remember, AAC attends the Barossa party in Beijing
On friday AAC attended the Barossa party at the glamorous venue of Mia Mio at the Lido in Beijing. It was an evening filled with great wine and lovely food from the region of Barossa.
People from the Barossa area are renowned for their generous hospitality, love of a shared table and a passion for local food and wine. The party incorporated all these aspects and made a memorable party.
By AAC Date: 2017-05-23
Australian Wine Road Show arriving at its final destination - Beijing
Beijing- Australian Wine Road Show together with AAC held its final event in Beijing. During the event the canape's of our chef became an instant hit with the attending guests.
News quickly spread about the delicacies and our chef became the star of the evening.
Representatives of Australia's finest wine brands grasped the opportunity to present their product for one final time.
A toast to the wonderful evening and everyone who helped make the Australian Wine Road Show a trip to remember!
By AAC Date: 2017-05-23
Norway to boost protection of Arctic seed vault from climate change
Norway is boosting the flood defences of its Global Seed Vault on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard after water entered the entrance tunnel last year.
The storage facility, deep inside a mountain, is designed to preserve the world's crops from future disasters.
Unseasonably high temperatures last year caused the permafrost to melt, sending water into the access tunnel.
No seeds were damaged but the facility is to have new waterproof walls in the tunnel and drainage ditches outside.
The vault stores seeds from 5,000 crop species from around the world. Dried and frozen, it is believed they can be preserved for hundreds of years.
Although most countries keep their own supplies of key varieties, the Global Seed Vault acts as a back-up.
If a nation's seeds are lost as a result of a natural disaster or a man-made catastrophe, the specimens stored in the Arctic could be used to regenerate them.
Scientists at the facility describe the vault as the most important room in the world.
Government spokeswoman Hege Njaa Aschim told the BBC that the reason the vault was built on Svalbard was because the permafrost was thought to be permanent.
She said the problems emerged last October when the temperatures, instead of being -10C or colder, were hovering around 0C.
"It was like a wet summer in Norway," she told the BBC. "Inside the mountain it's safe but the problems we have experienced are just outside and in the front of the tunnel, which is the entrance. So yes, maybe something has changed in the permafrost, but we don't know, and that is what the climate researchers are looking into. We have to follow them carefully."
The new measures announced include drainage ditches on the mountainside to stop water from accumulating around the access tunnel.
Waterproof walls inside the tunnel itself will provide extra protection for the vaults.
In addition, Statsbygg, the agency that administers the vault, is to carry out a research and development project to monitor the permafrost on Svalbard.
Source: BBC Date: 2017-05-20
International Tea and Coffee Dialogue held in Hangzhou City
The International Tea and Coffee Dialogue was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province on 18 May 2017. It is one of the side events of the First China International Tea Expo.
The Dialogue marks the first of its kind in international dialogue on tea and coffee, creating a platform for exchanges between tea culture and coffee culture.
The Dialogue is composed of two sections, specifically when Tea Meets Coffee, Tea and Coffee Business Cultures and Marketing. It includes the conversation between MOA Vice Minister Qu Dongyu and Henan Provincial Vice Governor Wang Tie from the Chinese side and Columbian Ambassador to China Oscar Orlando Rueda Garcia and Vietnamese Vice Minister of Agriculture Tran Thanh Nam from the guest side, business executive conversation between Lu Zhenghao Tea House specializing in West Lake Longjing Tea and the Starbucks Coffee, and conversation between Professor Liu Qinjin from the Southwest China Agricultural University and Mr. Hasitha de Alwis from the Sri Lankan Board of Tea.
Vice Minister Qu briefed about the latest development of tea production in China. He noted that China tops tea export in the world. Despite of the largest export volume, tea industry generates comparatively lower economic benefit. The added value of Chinese tea products should be increased to sharpen tea competitiveness.
At the Dialogue, Vice Governor Wang Tie introduced Xinyang Maojian tea produced in Henan province and Columbian Ambassador introduced the unique Columbian coffee culture.
To showcase Chinese tea culture, other activities were also held, including tea tasting and appraisal, tea art and tea-picking dance
Source: MOA Date: 2017-05-22
Vietnam urges Australia to remove ban on uncooked shrimp
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is working with Australia’s relevant agencies towards the early lift of Australia’s ban on the import of shrimp and uncooked shelled shrimp.
On January 7, the Australian Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources announced the suspension of prawn and uncooked shelled shrimp imports from Asian nations in fear of white spot disease outbreaks in Australia. The ban took effect on January 9 and will last for six months.
The MoIT has raised the issue at all bilateral meetings with the Australian side after the issue of the ban, expressing Vietnam’s concerns and asking Australia to consider removing the ban or replacing it with other measures with less negative impacts.
Minister of Trade Tran Tuan Anh sent a public letter to the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment and the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources in February of Australia on the matter in February.
According to the MoIT, the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources and the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment of Australia sent their replies on March 8 and April 30, respectively, explaining that the ban was based on regulations of biosecurity.
They added that the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is working on the matter, including reviewing import conditions for products targeted by the ban, in order to make necessary decisions for the resumption of safe trading activities of shrimp products soon.
The Australian ministers affirmed that Australia attaches importance to bilateral trade with Vietnam, including trading in agricultural products. They said Australia is willing to cooperate with Vietnam to review risk assessment measures.
Source: VNA Date: 2017-05-22
Chinese crop experts bring hope of boost to food supply
Large harvests of Chinese crops planted in Africa have raised hopes on the continent of greater grain yields to combat food shortages, Chinese scientists say.
"Trial plantings of quality Chinese crop varieties, including wheat, rice, corn, sweet sorghum and grapes, in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and other countries have shown promising results," says Wang Qingfeng, director of the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center in Kenya.
He says the results have been especially good in Kenya. With about 6.7 hectares of demonstration farmland, the center has conducted trial planting of high-yield corn for three years after variety screening and research. The yield of sweet sorghum has increased by 40 percent in trial planting, while hybrid rice has yielded an average 6,000 to 7,500 kilograms per hectare, four to five times the yield of local varieties, he says.
A testing field at Maasai Mara University in Kenya. Provided to China Daily
Researchers at the center have collected some local varieties of rice, wheat and sorghum for gene sequencing to develop crops that could suit the local soil and climate, he says.
Further screening is still needed to determine the varieties for promotion after more comprehensive research into local environment and trial planting. But to help start production as soon as possible, the Kenya center has applied to China's Ministry of Commerce to establish a Sino-Kenyan modern agricultural demonstration and training center, he says.
The demonstration and training center will be responsible for screening and bringing in high-yield crop varieties, demonstrating latest planting techniques and training talents of agricultural production and product processing to improve the agricultural production capacity in Africa, says Wang.
The center has signed cooperation agreements with some Chinese agricultural companies, including Hubei Provincial Seed Group, to help in technology achievement transformation, demonstration and promotion and will seek cooperation with more companies.
China has helped African nations when their grain harvests have been affected by drought, but what the research center is doing represents a change to this aid strategy. The new model gives more "soft aid" that features technology and management approaches, says Wang, who is also deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Wuhan Botanical Garden.
"The change better meets the need of African people and could enhance understanding and trust of them with Chinese people and deepen the friendship," he says.
The research center, which was opened in September at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, focuses on biodiversity protection, remote resources sensing, microbiology and the promotion of modern agricultural practices.
It covers 4,300 square meters and comprises a botanical garden, state-of-the-art laboratories, herb ariums, greenhouses, administration offices and conference and accommodation facilities. The Chinese Academy of Sciences supports its management and has provided equipment worth more than $2.2 million.
Meanwhile, Chinese agriculture experts have also been making efforts to increase the yield of rice in Ethiopia.
With funding from the Chinese government, a base for rice experiments and demonstration was established in February in the Werer Agricultural Research Center in Northeast Ethiopia's Afar region, which is affiliated with Ethiopia Institute of Agricultural Research and is 278 kilometers away from the capital, Addis Ababa.
With high temperatures and abundant sunshine, Werer is crossed by the Awash River, the longest in Ethiopia, and is an area suitable for rice planting. The conditions, however, haven't been efficiently used. Rice is planted on dry farmland instead of paddy fields for only one season a year during the rainy season, making yields low, says Luo Xueyi, a Chinese expert who led construction of the base.
Rice has been grown in Ethiopia for more than 40 years, but only about 53,500 hectares of the crop is planted each year in the country with a population of about 99.4 million. With the population on the rise, grain requirements are increasing, while the yield of teff, the main ingredient for Ethiopia's traditional main food, injera, is only about 100 kilograms per hectare. Rice has been listed by the Ethiopian government as an important grain to replace teff and ensure food security, says Luo.
Source: China Daily Date: 2017-05-19
Agreement to boost Vietnam – EU legal timber trade
Vietnam and the EU have just concluded negotiations for a voluntary partnership agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), according to the EU delegation to Vietnam on May 16.
The agreement is expected to improve forest management, deter illegal logging, and boost trade of Vietnamese legal timber products with the EU and other markets.
After nearly six years of negotiation, the agreement, recently initialed by Astrid Schomaker, Director for Global Sustainable Development at the European Commission's Directorate General for the Environment, and Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan, marks the official completion of the negotiations.
The agreement is now under legal review and shall be ratified by the two sides before becoming effective.
In order to implement the VPA, Vietnam will develop a timber legality assurance system (VNTLAS) in order to ensure all timber and timber products from a partner country comply with the law of that country.
The agreement also requires establishment of independent petition and evaluation mechanisms, as well as commitments among concerned partners in implementing and public disclosure of information.
A joint committee will supervise the VPA implementation. The two sides have also agreed on key factors needed in preparation for the implementation of the agreement.
Once the VPA is fully implemented, all timber and timber products destined for the EU market will be required to be enclosed with FLEGT licences to prove their legality.
Vietnam will begin issuing FLEGT licences when the timber legality assurance system has been successfully tested to ensure that all commitments as described in the VPA have been satisfied and in line with the criteria stated in the agreement’s appendixes.
Besides economic, social and environmental benefits, the FLEGT licences are expected to facilitate wood exporters’ activities.
Vietnam is among 15 countries negotiating the VPA with the EU.
Indonesia was the first Asian country to initial a VPA, with FLEGT licencing beginning on November 15, 2016.
Source: VNA Date: 2017-05-18