Worldwide gingerconsumption is increasing. India is the biggest producer, but Europe mostlyimports ginger from China, Brazil and Thailand. One company that specializes infresh ginger from China, is Rida Trade Netherlands, which deals in ginger andexotic vegetables. The company was founded in March 2011, and it has salesoffices in Singapore and Malaysia. The products come from parent company RizhaoXingda Foodstuffs Co., which specializes in cultivation, selection and supplyof ginger and exotic vegetables. “We’ve had more than twenty years ofexperience when it comes to ginger cultivation and the export of fresh gingerinternationally,” says sales manager Gerry Li.
RizhaoXingda Foodstuffs Co. is located in Qiaoshan Town, Rizhao City, city of ginger.This city is located in the Shandong province, on the east coast of China,which is the most important region in terms of fruit and vegetable cultivation.Nearly all ginger comes from Shandong as well. Gerry says the location is idealclimatologically speaking, and when it comes to logistics.
Own production
Rida Trade’s gingermainly comes from their own ginger plantations in China, but additional produceis acquired from other producers. Rida Trade, which has more than twenty yearsof experience in ginger cultivation, has the complete chain under control:selecting plants, cultivation, transport, packaging and export. “Every bit ofginger we export, is selected by us,” he explains. “We currently only sellginger from China. That’s available year-round, but the best period is betweenJanuary and November.” From the Hooipolderweg in Den Hoorn, the ginger ispackaged in smaller, 150-gramme packages for supermarkets, sold under privatelabel.
Chinese ginger
Ginger has beenused for centuries in Chinese medicine, where it’s known for its beneficialeffects on the lungs and stomach, and for the positive influence on digestionin general. Gerry notes that Chinese ginger is also perfectly suitable forAsian cuisine, thanks to its flavour. The Chinese ginger is characterized byits lemony, sometimes peppery taste with a hint of sweetness. This ginger has awhiter colour and is more fibrous. Ginger is available both peeled andunpeeled. The root is sold as a whole, but can also be offered cut, dried orpowdered. Rida Trade mainly focuses on fresh produce, but also offers ginger infrozen form.
Consumption increases
The European market for ginger is increasing rapidly. Gerry says this is mainlythanks to people becoming better acquainted with the advantages of ginger. Heexpects this trend to continue in the coming years. The most important marketsfor Rida Trade are Western Europe and North America. He sees Eastern Europe asan emerging market for ginger. “How we distinguish ourselves? Good quality,fast delivery and direct and friendly communication with our clients. That’show we’ve been able to build a solid clientèle in recent years.”