“We started to export ginger twelve years ago. We export all year around. Our biggest export market is the UK, followed by Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. Our clients range from supermarkets to importers and wholesalers,” says Parson, sales manager at Qingdao A-Best. “I have been working at the company since the beginning of our export business. At the start we searched for potential clients online and at trade fairs. Now we receive inquiries from clients that find us.”
No increase in ginger plantings
“In April, farmers start planting the new ginger that will be harvested in autumn. Last year, farmers planted considerably more ginger. This had brought down the price of ginger. This year I expect the growing area to remain stable. Demand from Europe has slightly weakened. Perhaps ginger supply, and the number of suppliers, have increased. We also supply the African and Southeast Asian market. These countries buy fresh ginger, whereas in Europe clients almost only purchase ginger that has been air-dried. Fresh ginger is cheaper than air-dried ginger, but risks during transport are higher. Outside Europe clients request smaller pieces.”
“Our largest market is Europe and I do not expect this to change. There is local production in Southeast Asia, but considerably less than in China. Chinese ginger is thought of as the best ginger varieties. Yearly we export 10,000 metric tons to Europe and an additional 6,000 tons to markets outside Europe. Perhaps demand from Southeast Asia will continue to grow. So far we have not been actively selling on the Chinese market.”
European demand for taro rising
“Demand for taro in Europe is growing. We export taro all year around. Our largest export markets are Italy, Spain and the UK. Taro is harder to store than ginger and customers typically buy smaller quantities per order. We source taro from our farmers every two to three months. This year, the price has gone up. Less taro is being planted, with fields often being replaced by ginger plantings. Demand has also gone up. Importers have become familiar with taro and are adding the product to their product offering. We source our crop from Shandong province.”
“Our garlic is exported to Southeast Asia. Export to Europe is less due to the
strict import restrictions and import quota’s. Southeast Asian buyers typically look for regular white garlic, which they buy in ten kilogram mesh packs. Some customers ask for 10 kilogram carton boxes. In Europe, consumers purchase smaller packages, with three, four of five pieces per pack. Demand from Asia is rising, and prices have been high too this season. Local production does exist, but cannot meet growing demand. In the future, the Southeast Asian market might become more important to us, but we also want to export to the European markets.”
Onion prices pushed up by Korean demand
“April is the start of our onion export season. We ship pink and yellow onions to the UK and Southeast Asia. Last year, onion prices jumped. South Korea started to import large quantities of onions, perhaps because local production decreased. This year, from the beginning of May, the situation eased out. Our export programmes run until the middle of November. In total we ship around 5,000 metric tons of onions a year. Europe’s largest onion supplier remains to be India. We can only fill in certain gaps in Indian supply. If India’s onion shipments are less, only then do European buyers buy from China. Generally, buyers like the quality of Indian onions and the price is lower.”
