Recently, the Australian Macadamia Society released data showing that the export volume of macadamia to China has increased by eleven times in the past five years. The National Australia Bank research report predicts that China will become one of the largest import markets for high-quality nuts, which has also attracted Australia, South Africa and other countries to grab the Chinese market.
In fact, in the 2017 New Year goods market, nuts have replaced candy as the largest food for the New Year. The Macadamia Nut Association CEO Jolyon Burnett said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China Business News that the outbreak of the Chinese nut market has caused several major nut-producing countries abroad to set their sights on China. The future development of the Chinese nut market will affect the world. The nut industry is of great significance.
"Strong" Nuts
There is a saying in the nut industry that "the worse the economy, the more snacks are needed to relieve stress." Indeed, with the global economic downturn in recent years, the nut industry has strengthened.
During the Spring Festival, the peak food sales season in 2017, the sales of nuts have "crushed" the traditional hot-selling category of sweets. In Ali's 2017 new year's goods big data, the traditional food category still accounts for the bulk of the new year's goods category. Among them, snack nuts accounted for the largest proportion of consumption, with sales accounting for 45% of the food category.
Several major nut e-commerce companies have also stepped into the fast lane of development. Snack e-commerce companies such as Three Squirrels, Baicaowei, and Liangpinpu have relied on nuts all the way, and their average annual growth rates of online revenue are 177.48%, 82.09%, and 216.23%, respectively. Among them, the three squirrels, which started from nuts, were established in 2012, and their revenue has reached 4.4 billion yuan (2016) in just five years. In April this year, the three squirrels formally submitted a listing prospectus and planned to log on to the GEM.
Baicaowei VP and CMO Wang Jingyao told reporters that the sales of Baicaowei nuts in 2015 exceeded 500 million, and the sales volume of Baicaowei nuts exceeded 1.1 billion in 2016, a year-on-year increase of 120%. And this ratio has been in recent years. The reason behind it is that with the upgrading of consumption and the strengthening of health demand, high-end and healthy nuts are gradually accepted and loved by Flowserve.
Weng Yangyang, executive vice president of the Nut Association, said that the sales of enterprises above designated size in the national nut roasted food industry in 2015 were about 120 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.8%. Behind the explosion of the nut industry is that consumers' choices of snack foods also show a healthy trend. The proportions of high-sugar foods such as candy, chocolate and candied fruit have dropped significantly, while the relatively healthy categories of biscuits, cakes and roasted nuts accounted for The ratio has risen, and snack foods have been upgraded to a healthier and high-end direction.
Overseas nuts "grab the beach" in China
The outbreak of the Chinese nut market has also attracted major overseas nut-producing countries.
According to data provided by the Macadamia Association to China Business News, between April 2012 and March 2017, the export volume of macadamia nuts to China rose from 1,294 tons to 16,311 tons, an increase of 11.6 times. From April 2014 to March 2015, the export volume of macadamia to China (MAT) increased by 493%, ushering in a major turning point in the rapid development of the Chinese market. At the end of 2016, the Chinese market accounted for 32% of the global export market for macadamia nuts, making it the largest importer of macadamia nuts in Asia and even the world.
In addition to Australia, the United States also has high hopes for the Chinese market. At the recently held Nuts and Roasted Products Fair, Bai Keming, deputy consul of the Agricultural and Trade Section of the US Consulate General in Shanghai, said that China's nut market demand is growing rapidly, and 15% of the US nut export market share comes from China. "U.S. nut companies attach great importance to the expansion of the Chinese market. The number of associations and exporters participating in the exhibition is increasing year by year. For example, this year we added dried cranberry fruit products, and next year we plan to bring Georgian pecans." Keming said.
Bonnet told reporters that the export volume of macadamia to China has also maintained steady growth for four consecutive years. In 2017, this data will continue to grow. According to Bonnet, the continuous development of the Chinese market has very important and positive significance for the macadamia industry and the global nut industry. Bonnet said: “As Chinese consumers’ demand for high-end health food continues to increase, and the sales of overseas nuts such as Australia continue to rise in the Chinese market, the Chinese market has great potential. We will continue to deepen the Chinese market and expand our products to three. Fourth-tier cities."
Currently, Australia and South Africa are the main suppliers of macadamia nuts in the Chinese market. In order to better develop the Chinese market, Australia and other countries have even begun to implement local planting strategies. Bonnet said: "We vigorously promote the cultivation of macadamia nuts in China. For example, in 2015, the Macadamia Nut Association signed a memorandum of understanding with the Yunnan Nut Association of China to promote the cultivation of macadamia fruit trees in Yunnan and assist the development of the industry. ."
Facing the landing of major overseas nut producing areas, local nut brands are not worried. The person in charge of a local nut company said that overseas nut companies mainly appear as suppliers in China, and they bring supplements and enrichment to Chinese products. In addition to the categories of China's nut industry, it also brings cash production technology and concepts. Some products are of higher quality and meet the needs of China's consumption upgrade. For the entry of overseas nut companies, we are more cooperative and win-win. Yes, not as a predator.
The development of China's nut market has indeed attracted a large number of domestic and foreign companies to enter. However, Weng Yangyang, executive vice president of the Nut Association