A total of seven projects worth over 13.6 billion yuan (about $2.1 billion) were signed on Sept. 12 at the opening ceremony of the third World Jasmine Conference held in Hengzhou city, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The signed deals covered the areas of new energy and new building materials. Upon completion, these projects are expected to generate more than 2.76 billion yuan in annual output value and about 348 million yuan in tax revenues.
At the opening ceremony, international guests, including Tim Briercliffe, secretary-general of the International Association of Horticultural Producers, and Paul Audan, mayor of Greoux-les-Bains in the French region of Provence, expressed their hopes via video link for enhancing cooperation with Hengzhou to promote the development of the flower industry.
The conference, along with the 12th China National Jasmine Tea Trade Fair and the 2021 China (Hengzhou) Jasmine Festival, was held under the framework of the 18th China-ASEAN Expo. It also included a seminar on the development of the jasmine industry, among other activities.
Since 2019, Hengzhou, known as China’s “home of jasmine,” has taken vigorous steps to expand the industrial and value chains of the jasmine industry, building an industrial cluster that incorporates the flower’s tea, potted plants, food, tourism, catering, sports and wellness industries. Thanks to the city’s efforts in upgrading the jasmine industry, the annual output value of the industry reached 12.5 billion yuan.
Hengzhou’s output of jasmine flowers and jasmine tea accounts for more than 80 percent of China’s total output and 60 percent of the world’s total. The city has about 330,000 jasmine growers who have come to embrace prosperity through the planting of the precious little flower. Hengzhou jasmine flowers have become the most valuable agricultural brand in Guangxi, with an overall comprehensive brand value worth 21.53 billion yuan.