|
| 中国农业节水灌溉市场到底有多大？ |
中国农民很快就能实现手机控制农业灌溉，而且保证灌溉设备按作物的需求提供精确的需水量和需肥量，在这灌溉过程中，农民不出家门即可实现。这一高科技灌溉系统的发明者法国伊尔（Irrifrance）公司是喷灌产品的领先生产商，他们将于明年全面实行这种灌溉方式，这种最先进的设备将在中国国内生产，优先供应中国农民所需。
法国伊尔的中国区首席代表Karim Al-Wadi说："我们公司已将所有技术都引入中国，保证在中国生产的产品与在法国生产的一样先进，有的甚至比我们总部的还尖端。"Al-Wadi说公司的市场战略表明公司对中国市场的重视，以及对国内行业的信心，今年中国政府已决定加大水利行业的投资。
10年内完成总价4万亿的水利投资。年初的中央一号文件中表示，2010年，中国水利年平均投资为2千亿，之后将在此基础上翻番。
2008年经济危机中，中国政府提出经济刺激计划，在水利上的4万亿投入与该计划相辅相成，在近期的中国水博览会中，农业灌溉行业即加入其中。
许多行业专家都说农业灌溉市场在获得政府资助之后，会赢得大跨步发展。
中国人均水资源只有全球平均水平的28%，中国还面临着超过13亿人口吃饭的压力，行业领先人物相信农业灌溉行业必定拥有美好的未来。
根据中央政府的计划，2011-2015年的五年内，水利行业总投资达到18000亿，其中20%投入农业相关基础设施工程建设上，比如灌溉工程。
虽然伊尔在近期才荣获2011知名水处理设备企业荣誉，但其实早在上世纪九十年代，其灌溉设备已经开始在国内销售，在2006年在中国设立分部。
Al-Wadi说："有人告诉我说他们知道我们的产品质量很好，但是价格承担不起。"他还说，在政府的支持下，今年市场已经开始有所扩充。
"我们希望今年中国区销售额能翻倍，销售机器达到600台，而且我坚信这一销售增长幅度至少维持5年"中国1.2亿公顷耕地中只有0.533亿公顷具备基本的灌溉方式和设备。根据水利部提供的数据可知，到今年年底，具备高效节水灌溉设备比如喷灌、滴灌系统等的耕地面积估计只有130万公顷。
耐特菲姆（Netafim）是生产智能滴灌和微灌产品的全球领先企业。它于上世纪九十年代初期将滴灌引入中国。其灌溉系统能将水与肥料一起运送到作物根部，从而省水量达到90%，省肥量达20%。
耐特菲姆亚洲区总经理Yacov Pedhatzur-Wiedhopf说"与其他国家相比，中国几乎样样都是第一。土豆和苹果产量都是世界第一。尽管中国土地广人口多，但水资源十分匮乏。所以，在最初我们就意识到中国市场的巨大潜力。"他说，总部设在以色列的耐特菲姆公司最大的市场是美国和印度。相比之下，2010年，中国排名较前两者靠后，销售额只有1000万美金。
"但对于农业灌溉生产商，毫无疑问亚洲的未来是美好的，而中国就是亚洲的未来。"Pedhatzur-Wiedhopf说政府支持在发展节水灌溉行业方面极其重要，2008年，中国政府开展的农机补贴政策可给予农民30%的购置费补贴。
"印度政府也为农民提供了大量补贴，如70%的灌溉系统花费补贴。所以印度市场增长的很快，从2002年的200万美元到2010年即突增到1亿美元。"有了4万亿的投入，中国将在节水灌溉行业获得巨大增长，期待到2015年，公司在中国地区的收入能达到5千万美元。
据中国水利部数据显示，除了节水的作用，现代灌溉系统能使粮食产量增加到每公顷6000-9000公斤，有助于提高食品安全。
约翰迪尔（John Deere）中国区董事长Todd King说，到2050年，地球上人口总数将超过90亿，随着有限水资源的压力越来越大，采用现代高效灌溉方式满足未来的需求很关键。
King说："对我们来说，最大的农业灌溉市场在北美，但中国是市场发展最快的国家之一，我们很期待中国市场能在未来成为世界几大市场之一。"农业灌溉企业都希望抓住市场膨胀的时机，不断攀升的投资已经大量涌入市场，以提高节水灌溉设备的生产力。
中国水利企业协会的数据显示，滴灌系统生产线的产量正在飙升。灌排分会的秘书长许复初说："从去年下半年到现在，市场上增加了近400条滴灌带生产线，在2010年7月之前，全国总共才150条。说实在的，这一行业发展的过于迅速，我担心这会引起泡沫经济。"但是，面对政府的支持和巨大的市场潜力，极少数投资者会考虑到行业投资过大的风险。不论是外企还是国内企业都加大了生产能力以免落后他人。
中国两大灌溉企业之一大禹节水集团的生产力比2009年首次发行股票时已经增强了三倍。
大禹集团的副总裁门旗博士说国内灌溉企业因为价格较低，拥有一定的优势。门旗在约半年前加入大禹，之前他在耐特菲姆和雨鸟公司工作十余年。
他对国内灌溉企业的未来保持乐观态度，他说这也是他加入大禹的一个原因。"我们去年的销售收入是3.4亿元，今年预计达到5亿。相对于国际竞争者，在销售和市场份额上，我们公司占据大部分。"
根据灌排分会的官方合作网站灌溉网（irrigation.com.cn）提供的数据显示，每亩灌溉设备的平均投入约800元。
尽管国际企业主要是为高端客户提供高科技产品，但他们也逐渐意识到亟需在中国国内建立分厂生产产品，从而降低其产品价格。
Pedhatzur-Wiedhopf说所有卖到中国的设备都是从以色列进口，但策略正在发生改变，他们预在明年在中国设立分厂。
他说："我们将投资1000万美元设立分厂，预计2013年初投入使用，产品价格可降低20-25%。"伊尔也采取了同样的扩张策略。到2013年他将开设两个分厂。从2009年，这个法国公司已经投入1亿元，建设两个生产基地。
法国伊尔的Karim Al-Wadi说："我们计划到2013年再开设两个分厂，这样我们的生产量将从现在的2000台设备增加到6000到10000台。"他说2009年70%的机器部件是本地的工厂生产，因为有了这些工厂，公司已经将产品价格降低了20-30%。我们预计明年在本地生产部件量达到90%，我认为，我们设备的价格将再下降5%。
许复初说，这对于国际企业来说并不容易，尽管其产品价格已经降了许多。
她说："国内企业与国际企业之间存在的技术差距早在过去几十年就开始减小。越来越多的国内企业和投资者进入灌溉行业，在激烈竞争下必将出现一些技术领先的国内企业。"
Sprinkle, sprinkle, little star
Rich pickings for foreign firms in China's agriculture irrigation marketChinese farmers will soon be able to control their sprinklers with mobile phones and make sure the devices offer the exact amount of water and fertilizer the plants need - all without setting foot on their farms. The cutting-edge irrigation system designed by France-based Irrifrance Industries, a leading sprinkler producer, will roll out next year and will be first available for Chinese farmers because the state-of-the-art devices were designed in China.
"We've transferred all of our technologies to China completely. Our products in China are as advanced as those produced in France, sometimes even more cutting-edge than those developed in our headquarters," says Karim Al-Wadi, China chief representative of Irrifrance.
Al-Wadi says the company's market strategy shows its commitment to China and its faith in the industry, which is being supported by the Chinese government's investments in the water industry this year.
A total of 4 trillion yuan ($628.7 billion, 451.8 billion euros) will be invested in water conservation projects over the next 10 years, with China aiming to double its average annual spending from 200 billion yuan in 2010, according a top policy document released earlier this year.
The check of 4 trillion yuan equals the stimulus package the Chinese government employed to boost its economy during the 2008 financial crisis, a fact that wasn't lost in the agriculture irrigation industry at the recent Water Expo China in Beijing.
Many industry experts say the agriculture irrigation market will grow exponentially next year when government funds go into effect.
In a country where water resources per capita are only 28 percent of the global average and where there is growing pressure to feed a growing population of just over 1.3 billion people, industry leaders believe the agriculture irrigation industry has a rosy future.
According to the central government's plan, total investments in the water industry between 2011 and 2015 will reach 1.8 trillion yuan, of which 20 percent will be invested in infrastructure projects related to agriculture, such as irrigation projects.
Although Irrifrance, which recently received the award of 2011's Well-known Water Equipment Companies, began selling its irrigation devices to China in the 1990s, it set up its office in China in 2006.
"Some told me that they know our machines are very good, but they just couldn't afford them," Al-Wadi says, adding the market has begun to expand this year because of strong government support.
"We are expecting to double our sales in China to around 600 machines this year from last year. And I think the surging growth will continue for at least five years," he says.
Of the 120 million hectares of cultivated land in China, only 53.3 million hectares have basic irrigation measures and facilities. And the area equipped with high-efficiency, water-saving irrigation, such as sprinklers and drip irrigation systems, is estimated at just 1.3 million hectares by the end of this year, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.
NETAFIM, a global leader in smart drip and micro-irrigation solutions, introduced drip irrigation to China in the early 1990s. Its irrigation systems deliver water and fertilizer to the roots of plants and to save 90 percent in water and 20 percent in fertilizer.
"Comparing China with other countries, China is almost No 1 in everything. It is No 1 in producing potatoes and apples in the world. Despite the big agriculture and population, the water in China is very scarce. So we know at the beginning that China is a very big potential market for us," says Yacov Pedhatzur-Wiedhopf, managing director of NETAFIM Asia.
He says the largest markets for the Israel-headquartered company are the United States and India. China, on the other hand, ranks lower with only $10 million (7.2 million euros) in revenue generated from that country in 2010.
"But for agriculture irrigation producers, there is no doubt that Asia is the future and China is the future of Asia," he says.
Pedhatzur-Wiedhopf says that government support has played a significant role in developing a water-efficient irrigation industry. In 2008, the Chinese government offered 30-percent subsidies for farmers who bought modernized agriculture machinery.
"The Indian government offers farmers big subsidies, like 70 percent of the cost of the irrigation systems. So the market in India grew very quickly, jumping from $2 million in 2002 to $10 million in 2010," he says. With the 4-trillion-yuan investment, he says China will take a giant leap in the development of water-saving irrigation solutions and expects the company's revenue from China to reach $50 million by 2015.
Apart from water conservation, modern irrigation systems can also help protect food security in China by increasing grain yields by 6,000-9,000 kilograms a hectare, statistics from the Ministry of Water Resources show.
By 2050 there will be over 9 billion people on Earth. With growing pressure for limited water resources, it is critical that modern and efficient irrigation be adopted to meet future demand, says Todd King, president of John Deere Water China, established in Beijing in 2008.
"The largest agricultural irrigation markets for us are in North America. However, China is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. It is expected that China's market will be one of the largest in the coming years," King says.
Companies in agriculture irrigation clearly want to seize the blossoming business opportunities that China has offered. A climbing amount of investment has been pouring in to increase the production capacities of water-saving irrigation equipments.
Statistics from the China Association of Water Enterprises show that a surging number of production lines for drip irrigation systems have begun operations in China since the second half of 2010.
"We've noticed an addition of nearly 400 production lines for drip irrigation systems from the second half of last year until now. Before July 2010, the whole country has around 150 production lines," says Xu Fuchu, secretary-general of the association's irrigation and drainage division.
"To be honest, the industry is heating up so quickly that I'm worrying about a (potential) bubble," she says.
But with major market potential and government support, few investors are considering any risks in their investments into the industry. Companies, both domestic and international, have been increasing production capacity so that they won't be left behind.
Guansu Dayu Water-saving Group, one of two listed irrigation companies in China, has tripled its production capacity through fund raised from its initial public offering in 2009.
Men Qi, vice-chief executive officer of Guansu Dayu, says domestic irrigation companies have certain advantages because of their low prices.
Men, who has more than a decade of work experience at NETAFIM and at John Deere Water, joined the company about half a year ago.
He is optimistic about the future of domestic irrigation companies, adding that is part of the reason he joined Dayu. "Our sales revenue is 340 million yuan last year, which is expected to reach 500 million yuan this year. In terms of sales and market share, we certainly get ahead, compared with international competitors," he says.
According to irrigation.com.cn, the official website of the Irrigation and Drainage Branch of China Association of Water Enterprises, the average cost of irrigation systems per mu is around 800 yuan.
Despite the claim of offering high-quality products to high-end customers, international companies are aware of the necessity of opening manufacturing facilities in China and lowering their prices by producing locally.
Pedhatzur-Wiedhopf says all of the equipment that his company sells in China are imported from Israel, but that the strategy is changing with plans to open a local factory in China next year.
"We will invest around $10 million and the factory is scheduled to operate in early 2013 and will lower the price of our products by 20 percent to 25 percent," he says.
Irrifrance has a similar expansion plan. It is opening two factories in China by 2013. The French company has invested more than 100 million yuan and has opened two production bases in China since 2009.
"We plan to open another two factories by 2013 that will enable our production capacity to jump from 2,000 machines a year now to 6,000 to 10,000 machines a year," Irrifrance's Karim Al-Wadi says.
He says that 70 percent of its machinery components were produced after the plants in China began operating in 2009. Because of the plants, the company has reduced product prices by 20 percent to 30 percent.
"We aim to producing 90 percent of the components locally in the coming year and I think the price of our machines will be cut down by another 5 percent," he says.
But Xu Fuchu says it will not be easy for international companies, even if they lower their prices.
"The technology gap between domestic companies and international companies has been shrinking over the past decade. With more domestic companies and investment jumping into irrigation industry, there is a possibility that some domestic company will emerge as a major player from the fierce competition," she says. |
|
 |
|
|
| |
|
| 产品小类 |
|
 |
| 产品分类 |
|
|
|
