Flower business thrives in China's Dounan

KUNMING - The air is charged with anticipation as an auction commences at the Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Center in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province.

Giant screens flicker with the pulse of the market, displaying the ever-changing prices of fresh-cut flowers. Auctioneers make swift decisions, and soon the auctioned flowers will embark on journeys far and wide, not just within the country but to over 50 overseas markets.

Official data shows that daily transaction volume at the auction trading center, located in Dounan of Kunming, is as high as 6 million stems.

In the afternoon, Yang Tao delivers 2,000 bundles of blooms to the flower market. A second-generation flower grower, Yang bears witness to the transition of Dounan.

Residents in Dounan began planting flowers in 1983. In the 1990s, they embarked on the path of commercial cultivation and trading of fresh-cut flowers. At that time, farmers and traders sold flowers on the main road of Dounan village, forming a 50-meter-long "Dounan flower street."

Over the following decades, flowers grown in Dounan were sold to more regions across the country. In 1999, China's first professional flower-trading market was established in Dounan.

Since then, Dounan has further developed and strengthened its flower industry chain, progressively establishing itself as the largest fresh-cut flower trading hub in Asia. Now seven out of 10 fresh-cut flowers in China come from Dounan.

Every day, over 1,700 varieties of fresh flowers are traded in Dounan, which has established itself as the national center for trade, logistics, financial services and big data information of flowers, as well as a convention and exhibition hub for flower tourism.

Dounan's blooming flower industry has also consolidated China's role as a major player in the global flower market.

With about 1.5 million hectares dedicated to flower cultivation and more than 5 million people involved in the industry, China has become the world's largest flower producer, and an important flower trader and consumer.

A guideline jointly issued by China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs proposed that by 2025, the annual sales of the country's flower industry will reach 300 billion yuan ($42 billion), and more than 700 billion yuan in 2035.

Such promising market prospects have encouraged flower growers to keep improving their know-how and updating cultivation techniques.

"The introduction of advanced technologies and an integrated smart irrigation system for water and fertilizer has revolutionized our cultivation techniques," Yang said.

"This has led to a substantial increase in both the yield and quality of our roses. Now, a team of just four workers can efficiently manage 1.3 hectares of flower fields," he said, adding that during peak holiday periods, the high market demand means he can sell 140,000 roses in a single day.

The flower industry has ignited a wave of prosperity that extends far beyond itself.

"We have a thriving market centered on the flower industry. We have established cooperation with 49 logistics enterprises, nearly 12,000 brands, over 10,000 flower brokers, 350,000 flower wholesale markets and florist shops across the country," said Qian Chongjun, the executive president of Yunnan Dounan Flower Industry Group.

As the flower industry flourishes, a ripple effect is transforming the surrounding areas of Dounan. The blossoming logistics, financial services and tourism sectors are all contributing to a vibrant economic boom in the region.

To Yang, the industry brings a palpable sense of happiness and fulfillment, bringing him a comfortable income while providing a service to thousands of customers seeking flowers to adorn their homes or as a romantic gift.

"My life has taken a significant step forward thanks to the flowers," he said, adding that he has recently invested in a new refrigerated truck and hired a driver as the volume of business continues to grow.