"Chicory meets Chinese consumer demand for healthy food"

Chicory is also known as the Jade Orchid vegetable or Golden Jade Orchid. It was introduced to China from the Netherlands several years ago and then gradually planted throughout the country. It is still not a common crop and consumers are not yet familiar with it. However, market prospects are not that bad when it comes to price and competitive power.

Chinese living standards have recently increased and consumption patterns changed. People value healthy food. Chicory has a high resistance against plant diseases and does not require chemical pesticides during the growing process. It can be described as a green, healthy, safe vegetable. Chicory perfectly meets Chinese consumer demand for healthy food.

"We imported chicory varieties from the Netherlands in 2014. We began with large-scale cultivation in a closed environment without using chemical fertilizer or pesticide. This year, we already reached a surface area of 33 hectares devoted to chicory plantation. We apply 'soft cultivation' techniques. Up until now we are the only company in the industry that grows chicory all year round and supplies 'Gold Jade Orchid' in all four seasons." This is according to Mr. Liu Xiujun, board chair of Hebei Lianxing Jiayao Agricultural Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

"At this stage, we sell 70% of our chicory, chicory root tea and related products wholesale to restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shandong. Most of them are Western style restaurants. We sell the remaining 30% as gift-boxes in high-end markets."

"As for the future of chicory in China, I am quite optimistic. First, chicory grows efficiently and resembles both a fruit and a vegetable in flavor. This, and the nutritional value of chicory, makes it an excellent vegetable that meets with the lifestyle demands of Chinese consumers. Second, the high-end agricultural market is relatively easy to control. We can adjust production based on demand. Third, as the market grows, consumers will also grow their understanding of this vegetable that is a little bitter and a little sweet, and has a high nutritional and medicinal value."