China: A Tiger only in the East or a World Player in High Quality Fresh Produce Exports?

This paper examines patterns of recent change in Chinas international export trade in high quality fresh-vegetables between 2002 and 2005 since its WTO membership and some of the underlying determinants that will determine its future export opportunities. Concepts of product quality are first reviewed and the key characteristics of Chinas international trade in fresh produce are outlined based on a detailed analysis from the UN Comtrade international trade data at the 2, 4 digit and finally 6 digit levels. High quality fresh and chilled vegetables are identified through their average unit export values. In 2005, China was the 4th largest exporter of vegetables in the world with a 9.8 percent share of world trade, and almost a 6 percent share in fresh and chilled vegetables. The competitiveness of China in world trade in high value fresh produce is assessed through a trade-shares accounting and decomposition approach which enables both structural and performance effects on Chinas exports to be isolated, and the contributions its major trading partners have made to changes its share of world trade. Chinas aggregate market share rose by over 1.5 percentage points over the period, and there is evidence of an emerging orientation in its trade shares from E Asia to SE Asia, and to further progress in the Russian Federation and US markets. Chinas underlying comparative advantage in such labour-intensive products is reflected in the positive performance effect on the increase in its market share.China, vegetables, international trade., International Relations/Trade,

Optimasi Jarak Tanam Dan Dosis Pupuk NPK Untuk Produksi Bawang Merah Dari Benih Umbi Mini Di Dataran Tinggi

. Sumarni, N, Rosliani, R, and Suwandi 2012. Optimization of Plant Distance and NPK Dosage to Produce Shallots from Shallots Set in Highland. Shallots set is small seed bulb derived from true shallot seeds (TSS). Using of the shallots set in shallots production is not common yet in Indonesia. The objective of this research was to find out the optimum plant distance in combination with NPK dosage to produce shallots bulb from shallots set in highland. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Garden of the Indonesian Vegetable Research Institute, Lembang (1,250 m asl.) on Andisol soil, from August to December 2009. A randomized complete block design with three replications was applied in the study. There were 12 treatments, viz. three levels of plant distance of 5 x 20 cm, 10 x 20 cm, and 15 x 20 cm that were combined with the application of four levels of standard dosage of NPK, viz. 0.5; 1.0; 1.5; and 2.0 NPK standard dosage, and one treatment as a control using bulb (5 g/set) with 15 x 20 cm planting distance, and a NPK standard fertilization (N 190 kg/ha, P2O5 92 kg/ha, and K2O 120 kg/ha). Bima Brebes cultivar was used as a planting material source for developing TSS, mini bulbs, and bulbs as generally applied in conventional cultivation. Research results revealed that the highest number of bulbed-plant harvested in the experiment 39.10% was recorded on shallots set cultivated using plant distance of 15 x 20 cm and NPK dosage of N 95 kg/ha, P2O5 46 kg/ha, and K2O 60 kg/ha compared to other treatments (14.66–33.22%). The treatment also gave higher results compared to conventional cultivation using bulbs (24.99%). The optimum plant distance and NPK dosage to produce shallots bulb from shallots set in highland was 15 x 20 cm and N 190 kg/ha, P2O5 92 kg/ha, and K2O 120 kg/ha that resulted in 35.48 g dry weight of shallots bulb per plant. The application of shallots set could increase the quantity and quality of shallots yield, and reduced quantity of bulbs needed per hectare