The first Dutch peppers are on their way to China, packed in an orange box and with a flyer with product information. This is all about a market test to monitor the reaction of the Chinese to the Dutch product.
The first Dutch peppers to China - photograph Twitter Xiaoyong Zhang
The export of peppers to China is a long-term project. Last year important steps were taken. Sharon Dijksma, former State Secretary Economics, signed an agreement with the Chinese government about the export of products from seven Dutch farms to China last year. Now the market test has been launched. If everything goes as planned, the first volumes could be exported to China in 2017.
The Netherlands are one of the first countries to supply peppers to China. China itself is one of the largest pepper producers in the world. "The demand for high quality, safe products is increasing," states State Secretary Dijksma. "China looks to the Netherlands for its innovative and sustainable greenhouses."