Mentor Young Boss: Forward-thinking Awareness is Key

"Stagnation awaits those who refuse to change their mindset, and obsolescence awaits those who fail to evolve their management. Without learning and keeping pace with the times, we risk being left behind."

After years of "explosive" growth, China's horticultural industry is now facing severe structural surpluses and shortages. It requires structural adjustments. It is anticipated that in the next 3 to 5 years, nurseries with appropriate species selection, high-quality plants, strong credibility, and keen market senses will gradually stand out. Meanwhile, a significant number of nurseries with extensive management practices will be eliminated by the market. The development of the seedling market will gradually shift towards rationality and stability, a phenomenon referred to in the industry as the "new normal."

In the face of the "new normal," nursery operators should adopt new thinking. Below, we summarize four aspects of this new thinking, hoping to inspire a wide range of nursery operators.

The adoption of concepts is more crucial than the introduction of seedlings.

Tree seedling import is a specialized transactional activity with high technical standards, influenced by various factors such as time, location, facilities, funding, management, and market conditions. An issue in any stage can affect the importation outcome, potentially leading to failure. Throughout the tree seedling buying and selling process, there has always been an issue of asymmetric information between buyers and sellers. Moreover, the breeding party possesses a natural technical advantage.

Some unscrupulous individuals, in their quest to sell more seedlings, deliberately conceal, mislead, and deceive customers, resulting in significant losses for the buyers. Therefore, nursery operators must have a sense of responsibility. Along with providing high-quality seedlings, they should also consider the customers' needs from their perspective, tailor investment plans, offer free technical consultation, and alleviate their concerns. The investment philosophy is far more important than the seedlings themselves. Good ideas and plans often enable buyers to avoid detours and quickly surpass others.

Shi Jingzhong, the owner of Tai'an, a top student from the New Seed Merchant Training Class, entered the seedling industry in spring 2014. He has contracted several hundred acres of land to cultivate American red maple seedlings and has been continuously learning advanced seedling concepts and technologies. Additionally, he has been actively promoting his own brand.

In 2014, Shandong Province had a large stock of American red maple seedlings, but Mr. Shi's red maple seedlings were sold out, with many training course participants and clients ordering hundreds of thousands of seedlings.

Secondly, nurturing high-quality products is the only way forward.

The cultivation of seedlings, like agricultural crops, is plagued by the herd mentality, leading to severe product homogenization. This is evident in the variety of seedlings; whatever variety is profitable in the market, that's what is planted, lacking market analysis and forecasting, resulting in a singular product structure in supply; and in quality, most belong to low-end products with low technological content, failing to differentiate grades.

The market is characterized by a surge in bulk planting and集中 launches, with a strong speculative tint and a恶性 competition pattern. In the face of this severe situation, the industry as a whole is focusing on cultivating high-quality seedlings. Nursery operators must establish a sense of quality precedence and always prioritize product quality over quantity. They should opt for a differentiated development path and increase independent innovation.

We strive to achieve "where others have, we excel, and where we have, we lead."

Anhui Suizhou Mindeli Garden's Chairman Zhang Maolin is a renowned "seed king" in Anhui Province, with his business spanning multiple industries. In 2014, with strong support from the local government and forestry departments, he contracted several thousand acres of land to develop seedling cultivation. Chairman Zhang dares to learn and boldly advances into industries he has never entered before. By attending multiple seedling technology training sessions, he has gained insights into the seedling market, identified planting directions, and mastered advanced cultivation techniques through continuous expert guidance and student exchanges.

By spring 2015, not only had the company successfully cultivated its thousands of acres into top-grade seedlings, but also led other growers in the technical work of seedling selection and cultivation, emerging as a leader in the local horticultural industry.

According to Mr. Jiang, Director of the Forest Bureau in Suzhou City, the planting area for seedlings in Suzhou City reached 50,000 acres in 2014, and plans are in place to expand it by at least 20,000 more acres by 2016. Such a vast area requires significant investment from both the government and individuals. Therefore, continuously learning seedling technology and cultivating high-quality seedlings has become a top priority for development.

Without integrity, a nursery cannot go far.

In the past, the seedling industry was shrouded in secrecy, and some unscrupulous individuals indeed made a fortune through deceit and fraud. However, with the rapid spread of the internet and communication technology, the connections between seedling industry professionals have become closer, and information more transparent. A single act of intentional or unintentional dishonesty can quickly spread throughout the entire industry, leaving oneself in a dead-end situation.

The power of integrity is intangible. Nursery operators must strengthen integrity construction by enhancing relationships with upstream and downstream customers, establishing a good reputation in the industry, and laying a solid foundation for the long-term development of the nursery.

Long-term investments are essential to withstand market fluctuations.

The seedling industry is a sunrise industry that integrates economic, social, and ecological benefits. With the successive introduction of favorable policies such as the Beautiful China initiative, environmental rectification, ecological restoration, and urbanization construction, its long-term development trend is highly anticipated by the whole society, with a promising future. Seedling nursery operators, with patience and dedication to cultivating high-quality seedlings, are sure to achieve ideal long-term returns. However, the reality is harsh; the market is filled with speculation and short-sightedness. Many nurseries have no intention of cultivating large-scale seedlings and merely seek short-term gains by producing small seedlings, leading to an excessive supply of small seedlings and a scarcity of large-scale ones. The long cultivation cycle of seedlings necessitates that nursery operators possess ample patience. Only through long-term accumulation can they produce quality seedlings. The transition of nurseries is timely now, but to establish a solid footing, long-term awareness is crucial. With such awareness, they can formulate long-term investment plans, ensuring the healthy development of the seedling industry.

New Seed Merchants' trainees share a common learning goal and philosophy. They encourage each other, study together, and grow together. We believe that people with the same aspirations walking side by side will go much further!