KUNMING, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Yunnan Province in southwest China is home to Asia's biggest fresh-cut flower trading market, which sells 11 billion fresh-cut flowers annually. Flowers grown here have become increasingly popular among Japanese consumers in recent years. With the help of cold chain logistics, the flowers undergo processes including picking, pruning, packaging, storage, boxing, and transportation, before entering shops in Tokyo, Osaka, and other Japanese cities.
In late March every year, sales of chrysanthemums in the Japanese market reach their peak. This year, dealers in Japan have already ordered about 600,000 fresh-cut chrysanthemums from flower growers in Kaiyuan, a major flower base in Yunnan.
In 2022, Konishi Takeshi established his own flower import company in Japan's Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo. The business involves importing fresh-cut flowers from Yunnan and then selling them to local flower distributors, processing factories, and flower shops. His latest batch of imported flowers came exactly from Kaiyuan.
According to Konishi, the flower market in Yunnan demonstrates great vitality and potential. He also notes that Chinese flowers are of high quality and expresses his hope to further promote them to the Japanese market.
According to the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, China has sold 103 million U.S. dollars' worth of flowers to Japan in 2022, making the island country its largest flower export market. Meanwhile, various types of fresh flowers grown in Yunnan continue to be exported to overseas markets amid growing popularity.
Planners: Wang Jianhua, Zhang Chongfang & Wang Changshan
Coordinators: Wu Wei & Wang Qingqin
Photographers: Jiang Wenyao, Zhang Xiaoyu, Cui Wen & Wang Teng
Visual designer: Li Mangmang
Editors: Zhang Chuanqi, Gong Bing, Li Mangmang, Sun Ruibo, Cao Mengyao, Mao Zhu, Dai Tianfang & Yang Guang
