There is a large and growing demand for premium vegetables amongst China’s growing middle class. The 3 tier one cities (Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing) alone have a population of 56m people, of whom roughly 1/3 have an income similar to average Australians. Of these, Guangzhou is the smallest market, but may be easiest to address due to its proximity to Hong Kong, which enables easier market access. In these cities the Premium Packaged vegetable segment, which is addressable by Australian producers, was at least 400kT in 2012 (cf Australian market ~4mT) – and is growing very rapidly (forecast tobe >1.6mT by F18). Modern Channels, such as Hypermarkets and Premium Retail, are addressable by Australian producers, and are steadily replacing traditional wet markets

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the research and development levies listed below and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

• Vegetable Fund