Tropical Asia, Markets
Tropical Asia, Markets diversity at its best No region on earth is as diverse as tropical Asia. Where one country is already focusing on scaling-up, the other is taking its first steps towards covered production. However, there are also similarities. In products, wishes and development phases for example. Communication via demos At the moment, it is primarily the small growers that are tending the crops in Southeast Asian countries. The vast number of growers, the distribution of growers across enormous growing areas and the limited infrastructure make logistics and communication very difficult. Marketing & Sales Manager Ruud Berkvens: “When we introduce a new variety, we organise field demos to communicate this. This is the perfect opportunity for us to explain what the added value of our seeds is for the grower. For example, that a certain resistance will allow a new variety to be grown during the rainy season too. “The region of tropical Asia represents about one billion people,” explains Marketing & Sales Manager Ruud Berkvens. “As far as we are concerned, this area encompasses the countries surrounding India and to the East of this: Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. We have not included India in this region, because we already have our own breeding and sales facilities in this country. The products that are grown in these countries are generally intended for local consumption. Only Myanmar, Vietnam and Malaysia export a part of their harvest to other countries, mainly to China.” Trends Similarities and differences go hand-in-hand in these thirteen countries. As far as similarities are concerned, you see that vegetable growing in this region still forms a source of income for a large part of the population. And the trend towards ‘clean’ and innovative products is increasing steadily here. Berkvens indicates that this is a direct consequence of the increase in foreign visitors. During their stay, they asked for vegetables that are familiar to them, such as lettuce, flavour tomatoes and sweet peppers. Cultivation – for example in tunnels or on hydroponics – is essential to ensure that the product is as clean and unblemished as possible. Berkvens: “These demands have been adopted locally, even for the traditional crops. In addition, the local population has increasingly started demanding Western, innovative vegetables for their own consumption. This is in addition to the consumption of their own, traditional vegetables, which have not suffered as a result.” Another trend is the reduction in the number of so-called ‘wet markets’, where vegetables are sold in bulk at the local market. These are ‘run of the mill’ products with very little diversity. “The increase in affluence and urbanisation have caused this reduction in the number of wet markets. Small vegetable shops are popping up like mushrooms. As is the case in the West, convenience starts to play a role, in the form of pre-cut vegetables or vegetables packaged in small portions.” Hydroponics These trends initially gain ground in the more developed countries in this region, such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia, where new influences are adopted more readily. These trends slowly filter through to the other countries in the region, which is reflected in the development and professionalisation of the 8 | The Partnership The Partnership | 9
