HÀ NỘI — Japan’s Kawasaki Flora Auction Market Company Limited plans to invest in Đà Lạt floriculture to supply flowers to Japanese and European countries.

The company wants to co-operate for up to 50 years in Đà Lạt and the entire Lâm Đồng province, said former Counsellor from Vietnamese embassy in Japan Đào Ngọc Cảnh.

In the first year, the firm plans to grow flowers in a 10-20ha site, and then expand to a 50ha place after three years and 100-200ha after the fifth year.

Established in 1961, Kawasaki Flora owns production bases in 12 Japanese provinces and in foreign countries such as Colombia and Kenya in order to provide fresh flowers for its stores across Japan.

According to Việt Nam Cooperative Alliance President Võ Kim Cự, the organisation will create favourable conditions for the bilateral partnership. However, Japanese company needs to elaborate specific plans in terms of co-operation forms, shares, investment and responsibilities of two parties based on the principle of mutual benefits.

He also suggested the company make use of land sources to invest in vegetable cultivation and other agricultural activities.

Earlier, Đà Lạt was working with Japanese OTA Floriculture Auction Company Limited and local agencies to establish a flower trading centre in the city.

The centre will be set up at the bottom of Mimosa Pass, a gateway to Đà Lạt, on an area of 16.6ha with maximum purchasing capacity of 2.5 million flower branches per day and is expected to trade 550 million flower branches per year.

Once operational, the facility will serve as a trading platform for flower farmers and consuming units to supply flowers to markets with transparent prices.

Lâm Đồng Province has a total flower growing area of 7,760ha with an annual output of more than 2.4 billion flower branches, of which Đà Lạt and its neighbourhood make up 70 per cent of acreage and production.

Đà Lạt has built a common brand called Đà Lạt Flower used by some 110 grower households.

Earnings from the local floriculture sector currently reach VNĐ750 million (US$33,000) per hectare annually. — VNS