- China Grows Under Glass
- Technology and growing
techniques not far behind
- By Greg Brown
Associate Editor
- It’s a long way to China, nearly 24 hours by plane.
But when it comes to greenhouse technology and growing methods the Chinese aren’t that far away.
That is the sentiment of participants in the in the Michigan Farm Bureau’s recent trip to explore China’s agriculture. Bridgett Leach and daughter, Kelly Leach VanDenBos, of Kalamazoo, Mich. said the greenhouses they toured were impressive.
The tour group visited more than 40 acres of greenhouses on one site. The impressive facility produced 12 different vegetables primarily for consumption within the village and for the Beijing institutional markets.
Hangcuhne Construction Group (HCG) operates the large greenhouse complex and many other businesses in the area. Greenhouse technology for the facilities came from Europe and the United States, as does most of the seed, said Dennis Rudat, Michigan Farm Bureau’s director of information. The modern greenhouses that the delegation toured on a trade study tour to China were in the Hangchune Village.
Rudat said the village was home to 900 families and a total population of approximately 2,700. The village was collectively-owned and operated. HCG started with a 30-man construction team and now boasts 6,000 employees, with a majority of villagers employed within the construction firm and the balance coming from surrounding villages.
Rudat said that tour participants estimated the hydroponic greenhouse facility cost $35 million to construct. The operation was impressive, but not the norm.
“On the trip we saw everything from water buffalo in rice paddies to advanced hydroponics, apple juice concentrate and dairy facilities,” said Leach.
“China has both ends of the spectrum,” said Leach. “The contrasts from one region to another are striking.” The region has a wide variety of climate types and a wide variety of economic conditions for their growers.”
“For example, any of the corn harvesting that we saw was done by hand,” said Leach. “And, while we did see a couple of rice harvesters, there were very little comparable equipment of any size and no combines,” said Leach.
But the two greenhouse vegetable growers picked up some techniques on their tour. “We did pick up a couple of salad green ideas. They do things a little differently than the technique that we use.” While the tour participants learned a lot, they felt they could have learned a little more.
“We didn’t get to see everything we wanted to. We had to make special arrangements at some points to see some things,” said Leach. “But, generally, we saw the kind of operations they wanted us to see. I didn’t get the impression that the greenhouse industry as a whole was very large, but the fruit industry seems to be on the verge of exploding.”
The Leach’s are in their second year of hydroponic greenhouse growing operation. The operation has a two-bay guttered hydroponic greenhouse in which they raise tomatoes. They also participate in the farmers’ market in Kalamazoo, said Leach. The greenhouse is in addition to the main farm’s 1,100 acres of production. The farm produces seed corn, and seed soybeans.
“Part of the challenge was not speaking Chinese,” said Leach. “We had to have everything translated.”
It was difficult for the groups to know what the translators filtered out, said Leach. But, in general she said the people were pleasant, and their adoption of Western clothing was obvious.
Rudat, who also participated in the tour, explained that profits earned by HCG are reinvested into the business to rebuild the village and expand business into other ventures, including agricultural improvements, a nursery and greenhouse. The village is considered a “model” village, with at least 24 other similar village projects underway throughout China.
The country is changing very rapidly.
“Eventually the Chinese markets will become buyers of commodities,” said Rudat. “Growth in the middle-income brackets is already up.
“Nearly 350 million people in China are already considered middle income. While 200 million have the purchasing power of the average American,” Rudat said.
Some imports there have seen rapid expansion. For example, In the first six months of 2002, U.S. beef exports to China were already 40% ahead of their 2001 total, said Rudat. There is going to continue to be a lot of growth in the Asian market. As far as their export of vegetable produce, the Chinese greenhouse and vegetable industry is concentrating their efforts on the Asian market, because of perishable-related issues. “
“Right now, their main asset is cheap labor supply. They will remain competitive as long as the cheap labor remains available. But, that cheap labor will eventually begin to diminish,” said Rudat.
In general ag production’s shrinking access to water is encouraging shifts in commodities produced from grains to fruits and vegetables. Wheat production, which was heavily reliant on irrigation, has dropped 20 - 30%, because producers could no longer access water.
