With the situation of Chinese nut market becoming more and more pleasant, foreign capital began to seize the Chinese market.

Recently, the Australian Macadamia society released data showing that the export volume of macadamia nuts to China has increased eleven times in the past five years. According to the Research Report of the National Bank of Australia, China will become one of the largest high-quality nut import markets, which also attracts Australia, South Africa and other countries to seize the Chinese market.

In fact, in the 2017 annual market, nuts have replaced candy as the number one annual food. Jolyon Burnett, CEO of Macadamia Nut Association, said in an exclusive interview with the first financial reporter that the outbreak of Chinese nut market made several major foreign nut producing countries focus on China, and the development of Chinese nut Market in the future is of great significance to the global nut industry.

"Strong" nuts

In the nut industry, there is a saying that "the more depressed the economy is, the more snacks are needed to relieve the pressure.". Indeed, with the global economic downturn in recent years, the nut industry has strengthened.

During the Spring Festival, the peak season of food sales in 2017, the sales of nuts have "crushed" the traditional hot category of candy. In Alibaba's 2017 annual product big data, traditional food categories still dominate the annual product categories. Among them, snack nuts account for the largest proportion of consumption, with sales accounting for 45% of the food category.

Several nut e-commerce companies have also stepped into the fast lane of development. Three snack e-businesses, such as squirrel, baicaowei and liangpin shops, are soaring by nuts. Their online income growth rates are 177.48%, 82.09% and 216.23% respectively. Among them, three squirrels started from nuts were founded in 2012, with a revenue of 4.4 billion yuan (2016) in only five years. In April this year, three squirrels officially submitted their IPO prospectus and planned to land on GEM.

Wang jingkey, VP and CMO of baicaowei, told reporters that in 2015, baicaowei nuts sold 500 million yuan, and in 2016, baicaowei nuts sold more than 1.1 billion yuan, an increase of 120% year on year. And in recent years, it's the same proportion. The reason behind this is that with the consumption upgrading and health demand strengthening, high-end and healthy nuts are gradually accepted and loved by the public.

According to Weng Yangyang, executive vice president of nut Association, the sales volume of Enterprises above Designated Size in the national nut fry food industry in 2015 was about 120 billion yuan, up 7.8% year on year. Behind the outbreak of nut industry, consumers' choice of leisure food also shows a healthy trend. The proportion of candy chocolate and candied fruit dry two kinds of high sugar food decreased significantly, while the proportion of biscuit cake and nut fried goods relative healthy category increased, and leisure food upgraded to a more healthy and high-end direction.

Overseas nut "beach" China

The outbreak of the Chinese nut market has also attracted major overseas nut producers.

According to data provided by Macadamia association to first finance and economics, Macadamia exports to China increased 11.6 times from 1294 tons to 16311 tons between April 2012 and March 2017. From April 2014 to March 2015, Macadamia exports to China (MAT) increased by 493%, ushering in a big turning point of rapid development in the Chinese market. At the end of 2016, China's market accounted for 32% of Macadamia's global export market, becoming the largest Macadamia import country in Asia and even the world.

In addition to Australia, the United States has high hopes for the Chinese market. At the recent nut speculation exhibition, Bai Keming, deputy consul of the Agricultural Trade Department of the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, said that China's nut market demand is growing rapidly, with 15% of the U.S. nut export market coming from China. "American nut enterprises attach great importance to the expansion of Chinese market. The number of associations and exporters participating in the exhibition is also increasing year by year, such as the addition of cranberry dried fruit products this year, and the plan to bring Bigen fruit in Georgia next year. " Baikeming said.

Bonet told reporters that Macadamia exports to China also maintained a steady growth for four consecutive years. In 2017, this data will continue to grow. In Bonet's view, the sustainable development of China's market has a very important and positive significance for macadamia nut industry and the global nut industry. "With the increasing demand of Chinese consumers for high-end healthy food and the increasing sales of overseas nuts such as Australia in the Chinese market, the potential of the Chinese market is very large," Bonet said. We will continue to explore the Chinese market and expand our products to third and fourth tier cities. "

At present, 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 even began to implement local planting strategy. "We are vigorously promoting Macadamia cultivation in China. For example, in 2015, Macadamia association signed a memorandum of understanding with Yunnan nut Association of China to promote Macadamia fruit cultivation in Yunnan and assist the development of the industry," Bonet said.

Faced with the landing of overseas nut producing areas, the local nut brands are not worried. A local nut enterprise head said that overseas nut enterprises mainly appear as suppliers in China, they bring supplements to Chinese products, enrich the categories of Chinese nut industry, and also bring cash production technology and concept. Some products are relatively high-quality and conform to China With regard to the demand for consumption upgrading and the entry of overseas nut enterprises, we face it with a win-win attitude rather than as a predator.

The development of Chinese nut market has indeed attracted a large number of domestic and foreign enterprises to enter.