China's per capita vegetable availability has exceeded 500 kg

First China Vegetable Brand Conference held in Nanning; China Vegetable Circulation Association releases the "2015 China Vegetable Brand Development Report"

Vegetable output and output value have both surpassed grain, making vegetables China's largest agricultural product

The total output value of vegetables sold in markets every day is even larger than that of grain; even radishes and greens can have brands. On December 7, the First China Vegetable Brand Conference was held in Nanning, honoring the 2015 China Top 100 Vegetable Brands and others, with some Guangxi brands making the list. Experts said that as people shift from “eating enough” to “eating well,” the vegetable circulation industry must also move toward branding.

With “brand building” as its core, this conference carried out ranking and selection activities for Chinese vegetable brands. On December 7, the meeting honored enterprises that received titles such as “2015 China Top 100 Vegetable Brands” and “2015 China Top 50 Brand Community Vegetable Stores.” Among the Top 100 Brands, vegetable brands from the region such as Nanning's “Huangzhen” and “Jinnana,” Baise's “Zhuangxiang Hegu” and “Tianzhou,” and Guilin's “Lianhao” all made the list. Some are known for a single product, such as “Huangzhen”'s purple jade Chinese yam and “Jinnana”'s bananas; some are collections of multiple varieties, such as “Zhuangxiang Hegu”'s mangoes and cherry tomatoes; some are famous for their vegetable bases, such as “Lianhao,” a comprehensive fruit and vegetable market, while the “Tianzhou” brand is named after Tianzhou Town in Baise City, a town that is a national high-quality vegetable base township.

The China Vegetable Circulation Association released the "2015 China Vegetable Brand Development Report" at the meeting. The report said that according to China Statistical Yearbook and other data, China's vegetable planting area rose from 2.16% of the planting industry in 1980 to 12.1% in 2011. National vegetable output grew from 80 million tons in 1980 to 760 million tons in 2014, and per capita availability rose from 80 kg in 1980 to more than 500 kg at present.

A relevant official of the China Vegetable Circulation Association said that in 2011 vegetable total output value surpassed grain for the first time, becoming China's largest agricultural product, reaching 1.26 trillion yuan, with output also exceeding grain by more than 100 million tons. In 2014, China's total grain output was 607 million tons, while total vegetable output exceeded 700 million tons. Vegetables, which appear not to occupy the mainstream of food, have already surpassed grain in both output and output value.

“With grain output greatly increased, China has basically solved the problem of food and clothing.” The official said that consumer demand for agricultural products has undergone major changes, gradually shifting from eating enough to eating well. Brands are one of the important ways to distinguish whether agricultural products are safe and reliable; branded agricultural products will attract increasing attention, and the vegetable circulation industry will also embark on a path of brand-based development.

According to the introduction, in 2014 Guangxi's vegetable output reached 22.45 million tons, with an output value of 24 billion yuan; it is an important base for the nationwide “southern vegetables transported north” and the “back garden” for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao region, while also providing ample supply for North China and the Yangtze River Delta. A relevant official of the regional Department of Commerce said that our region has continuously worked hard to promote Guangxi fruits and vegetables across the country. In December 2013, the Baise-Beijing green fruit and vegetable dedicated train was launched. Not long ago, our region also held in Beijing a production, transportation and sales matchmaking meeting for the Baise-to-Beijing green fruit and vegetable dedicated train, achieving remarkable results.

This conference was co-hosted by the China Vegetable Circulation Association and the regional Department of Commerce. On December 7, the meeting also honored 9 brand awards, including “2015 China Advanced Unit in Vegetable Circulation,” “2015 China Top Ten Hometowns of Vegetables,” “2015 China Top Ten Brand Production Bases,” “2015 China Top Ten Brand Vegetable Wholesale Markets,” “2015 China Top Ten Brand Farmers' Markets,” “2015 China Top Ten Brand Fresh Food E-commerce Companies,” “2015 China Outstanding Contribution Award for Vegetable Circulation Brand Building,” “2015 China Vegetable Brand E-commerce Leading Figures,” and “2015 China Gold Medal Vegetable Wholesalers.”