I am sitting on a bus travelling through the Chinese countryside writing this column, contemplating the recent days spent celebrating our association’s 25th congress in Beijing.

It has been an interesting experience. We had nearly 400 Chinese participants from over 100 markets attend the congress, along with an international representation from 34 countries. Undoubtedly, food distribution chain efficiency and safety is a high priority in China at this time. It is clear that everyone in the industry here is consciously working towards raising their standards to match international levels. We have all read about the recent food scares resulting from various Chinese fresh produce exports, along with the Chinese government’s strengthening resolve to deal more effectively with any food safety violations or problems.

The wholesale markets here are as mindboggling as the city of Beijing itself. This is a city where some 20 million people need to be fed each day. Our hosts, the Chinese National Association of Wholesale Markets (CAWA), informed us that there are 10 large wholesale markets servicing the city, along with 100 smaller ones. The 10 large markets have an average turnover of around

£327 million, and an annual fruit, vegetable and cereal volume of one million tonnes each. Impressive as that is, what astounded us all the most is that only one of those markets currently offers coolstorage facilities.

The Chinese government is doing its best to support and improve the food markets here, having become increasingly aware of their public service role and their great importance to the food distribution chain. The Double 100 Programme is one initiative underway throughout the country to strengthen the sector. The purpose of this joint ministry of commerce/CAWA programme is to provide support to agricultural production distribution systems. Each year, the government selects from among China’s 4,000 wholesale markets some 100 that deserve the government’s financial support. Additionally, the largest 100 commercial enterprises connected to food markets (transportation, logistics, retail markets, support companies etc) with “high standards, a sound distribution network and a company playing a role of importance in local wholesaling” are also selected. These markets and companies are then entitled to financial support from the ministry of commerce (anything from 60 to 70 per cent of project costs) to support the implementation of logistical, monitoring and/or testing systems. However, very little money is currently available for infrastructural or equipment needs. In addition to this government financial support, CAWA provides the awardees with complementary information and technical assistance as it relates to security, monitoring, waste treatment, processing and distribution systems - issues that markets worldwide are involved in.

I ask myself how long it might take for China to succeed in matching the standards of its many international counterparts. I figure five to 10 years, which my colleagues find a reasonable assumption. When I ask the question of my Chinese hosts, they declare: “It will be just three!” We watch with interest.

Topics