AgrifoodAsia China Horticulture

Business Development Mission

 

Mission Organizer

AgrifoodAsia.Com: A major international agrifood trade, investment, technology and training service system expert in the identification, development and capture of food and agriculture opportunities between Australia and China.  Please visit WWW.AGRIFOODASIA.COM for more information about AgrifoodAsia. 

Rationale for Visit to China

China is the world's second largest economy measured by purchasing power parity and will be the largest within 10 years.  China's economy has been growing at an average rate of 8% per year for the last decade and in 2002 surpassed US as the world's leading Foreign Direct Investment [FDI] destination and the favourite destination for international trade, investment and co-operation. There is little doubt that China will be the world’s biggest market and the global center and engine for trade and economic growth in the new millennium.

In view of China’s entry into the WTO and the enormous business opportunities, businesses worldwide are actively searching for ways and means to access China’s vast market - especially the agrifood sector.  China is the world’s largest agrifood producer and consumer and its food and agriculture market is worth more than AUD700 billion annually and growing rapidly.  China has a rapidly emerging middle class and food accounts for almost 40% of the total household expenditure in China and is 4 times that of US.  Australia's export of agrifood products to China reached AUD2.42 billion in 2002 and given the current trend, it is likely to reach more than AUD6 billion by 2010 – providing Australia is able to remain competitive and continues to access and capture new market opportunities.  

However, capturing business opportunities and markets and sustaining market success in the vast and complex Chinese agrifood market is not easy.  Business success with China is constrained by language and culture; shortage of quality information about China’s business and investment environment and opportunities; business know-how, skills and tools, and the lack of experienced China business facilitators with the necessary China expertise and linkages to help foreign businesses to build the business structures, mechanisms, channels, networks, relationships and partnerships essential to doing and making business happen between China and foreign countries.

This mission is designed to help selected Australian horticultural businesses to develop an insight into Chinese business practices and the current status, trends and opportunities in the vast Chinese agrifood market, particularly in the area of horticulture.

With the recent approval of access to China for Australian citrus, a major focus of this mission will be to identify potential business partners and networks and develop the basic China knowledge and business structures, mechanisms and relationships necessary for the successful export of Australian citrus to China.