Large milk storage tanks at the Brennes plant of the French dairy group Latinov. Photo by reporter Shang Kaiyuan
In the sausage packaging workshop of the French company Sagao, workers are packing sausages. Photo by reporter Xing Xue
Vincent Cashaw, Chief Winemaker and Technical Director of the Bordeaux branch of the Grand Cellars Group, pours wine tastings in the cellar. Photo by reporter Xing Xue
On November 7, 2023, at the 6th China International Import Expo, fragrance products from France attracted visitors. Photo by Weng Qiyu (People's Vision)
France Pavilion at the 4th China International Consumer Products Expo on April 14. Photo by Condon Lin (Image China)
"One of the important lessons of China's development is that it unswervingly adheres to opening up to the outside world. We welcome more high-quality French agricultural products and cosmetics to enter the Chinese market to meet the growing needs of Chinese people for a better life. On May 5, President Xi Jinping published a signed article in the French newspaper Le Figaro, pointing out that China will expand high-level opening-up and deepen cooperation with countries around the world, including France.
According to the statistics of the General Administration of Customs of China, France is China's largest importer of agricultural products and the second largest agricultural trading partner in the EU. As of mid-2023, more than 200 French agricultural and food products have been approved for export to China, and nearly 7,000 agricultural and food product manufacturers have registered in China.
During French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China in April 2023, President Xi Jinping said that China will promote high-level opening-up, share the new opportunities brought by China's new development with other countries in the world, and is willing to work with France to build a full-chain rapid coordination mechanism "from French farms to Chinese tables". Over the past year, "From French Farm to Chinese Table" has become a bright business card of Sino-French cooperation. More and more French agricultural products are opening up the Chinese market, providing Chinese consumers with high-quality and diversified choices, bringing more opportunities for French companies and more benefits for French farmers.
"China is one of our most valuable target markets"
The climatic conditions in France are suitable for the development of animal husbandry. According to Statistics France, there are more than 17 million live cattle in the country. In the town of Brennes, in the Haute-de-France department of Aisne, the Einar family's farm has been in business for three generations, with 200 cattle and 140 hectares of farmland and pasture.
"All of our cattle are born on the farm, and each cow has an identification document with the number, breed, date and place of birth, and health quarantine." Valerie Einar, the hostess, said: "Most of the silage corn and pasture we feed are grown on our own farm, which meets the quality requirements, and we can feed them with confidence. ”
Not far from the Einar family farm is the Brenne plant of the French dairy group Lattinov, which works closely with local farmers. A few years ago, at the suggestion of the plant's technical team, the Einar family introduced a milking robot. Simply walk the cow to the milking table and the entire automated system can be used to complete the process of feeding, cleaning, disinfecting, milking and more. After confirming that the milk is qualified in various indicators, it can be put into the market after high-temperature sterilization treatment by the factory.
In 2012, the Latynov Dairy Group began to develop a direct export business, with the Chinese market as its main target. Some of the milk from the Brennes factory travels long distances from the port of Le Havre in northern France to Shanghai and Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China, and then to supermarkets and restaurants for Chinese consumers. "More than 10 years ago, I made a special trip to Shanghai to participate in the International Food Exhibition to look for business opportunities." Alexander Zeitrin, the group's export business manager, told reporters, "From the very beginning, we identified China as one of our most valuable target markets. ”
The Brenne plant has a total of 5 production lines, 4 of which are mainly used for 1 litre of milk and one for 200 ml of milk packages. The addition of a small packaging production line is an adjustment made by the factory nine years ago in accordance with the consumption characteristics of the Chinese market after listening to Zeitlin's suggestion. With the rapid growth of Chinese consumer demand for high-quality dairy products, the Chinese market accounted for one-third of the Group's export share at its peak.
"We are committed to long-term cooperation with our Chinese business partners." Zetlin is confident in the potential of the Chinese market, "The joint development of a full-chain rapid synergy mechanism between France and China 'from the French farm to the Chinese table' has brought us new opportunities. We are pleased to play a role in promoting economic and trade exchanges between the two countries as part of this. ”
"Exports to China are in a steady upward range"
Located in the Occitania region of France, the department of Aveyron is the "southern gate" of the French Massif Central. The small town of Villefrance-de-Rueguieus in the province of Aveyron is home to the first French company to export French sausages to China.
Nicolas Tunois, general manager of Sagao, introduced that French dry sausage is a traditional French food, which fills the natural casing with a well-seasoned meat filling, and after fermentation and drying, the surface forms a delicate flour-like texture, and the taste is both chewy and not dry. Depending on the type of seasoning and casing, there are numerous varieties of French dry sausages. In the company's workshop, there are coarser dry sausages and smaller, snack-like dates packed in palm-sized colored bags. "Small packages of meat dates are very popular in the Chinese market." Tunois said.
In April 2013, President Xi Jinping held talks in Beijing with French President François Hollande, during which the two heads of state exchanged views on comprehensively strengthening Sino-French exchanges and cooperation, and decided to create new highlights of cooperation in modern agriculture, agricultural product processing, food processing and other fields. The following year, the Chinese delegation went to France to inspect a number of French meat companies, including Sagau. Subsequently, the company was approved to export to China. In 2016, after completing the strict health and safety certification and related processes in the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, Sagao's French dry sausage products officially entered the Chinese market.
"For a small family business, being the first to export to the Chinese market is a milestone in the development of the company." Tunoir proudly told reporters that over the years, he has devoted himself to understanding the Chinese market, actively participating in professional exhibitions, and constantly developing new customers, "facing the Chinese market, we carefully design packaging and flavors to better meet the needs of Chinese consumers, and the export volume to China is in a stable rising range."
At present, the besta sausages sold by Sagao on the e-commerce platform through Chinese agents are favored by Chinese consumers. Besta sausages have grown from 10 tonnes in 2019 to 60 tonnes at present, and have also appeared at booths at the China International Import Expo in recent years. Tunoy hopes that with the promotion of the whole chain of rapid coordination mechanism of "from French farm to Chinese table", more French special agricultural products can enter the Chinese market.
"Accelerate the introduction of wine culture into the lives of Chinese people"
On November 5, 2019, President Xi Jinping visited the opening ceremony of the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) with foreign leaders. President Xi Jinping, accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron, first came to the French Pavilion. President Macron warmly invited President Xi Jinping to taste French red wine and beef food. The French entrepreneurs present rushed to tell President Xi Jinping that French companies are optimistic about the Chinese market and hope to further expand exports to China. President Xi Jinping pointed out that China's consumer market is large and can meet the diversified needs of different levels, and hoped that French entrepreneurs will show a long-term vision and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with China.
Bordeaux is an important wine producer in France and the world. At Château de Chandan in Bordeaux, owned by the Grand Cellars Group, tractors carrying sprayers are busy shuttling through the vineyards. Vincent Cashaw, Chief Winemaker and Technical Director of the Bordeaux branch of the Grand Cellars Group, explains that high-quality wines come from skill and patience: during flowering and early ripening, manual removal of some of the flowers and young fruits reduces the vine load; Picking in blocks ensures that ripe and healthy grapes are selected; The fermentation process requires careful monitoring of each barrel; Blending requires the winemaker to taste and evaluate each one.
Pick up a bottle of red wine from Château Xiangdan, scan the QR code on the label on the Chinese of the bottle, and the "life experience" of this bottle of wine will be fully revealed: the history of the winery for hundreds of years, the terroir characteristics of the production area, the color and aroma level of the wine, the drinking temperature and the recommendations for food and beverage pairing......
"Compared to 10 years ago, Chinese consumers are more interested in wine culture, so we made this design." Ander, Sales Director of the Fulun Famous Estate Department of Grand Wine Cellar Group, has worked and lived in Shenzhen for more than ten years and has a good understanding of the demand of the Chinese red wine market.
Nowadays, in the Chinese market, you can see wines from various regions of France, including red wines, white wines, pink wines, sparkling wines, etc. "China's e-commerce platforms and social networks have made wine more popular, and learning wine appreciation courses has also accelerated the introduction of wine culture into the lives of Chinese people." Ender said.
During President Macron's visit to China in April 2023, the two sides issued a Sino-French joint statement expressing France's support for China's application to join the International Grape and Wine Organization as soon as possible, and supporting China's hosting of the International Grape and Wine Industry Conference. Ander told reporters that in recent years, the wine producing areas of Shandong, Ningxia, Xinjiang and other provinces in China have become increasingly mature, and the development of China's local wine industry will promote the prosperity of the entire wine market.
(Reporter Xing Xue, Wang Yuan, and Liu Lingling participated in the writing)
Editor: Zheng Jianlong
Source: Overseas Network