China Tour of Learning
Covered Cropping NZ is planning a Tour Of Learning to China in April 2027. This trip is for greenhouse growers and will focus on seeing different heating systems in action as well as connecting with suppliers. At this stage the exact itinerary is still being confirmed but the intention is as follows:
Dates: 12th -18th April 2027 inclusive
With the option of arriving early for the Hortifloraexo 9th - 11th April in Shanghai (see here for more details)
Cost: Each grower is expected to book and pay for their own flights - into Shanghai and out of Beijing. Additional costs will be up to NZD1,500 for accommodation, meals and inter-city train travel. Covered Cropping NZ will cover the cost local bus transport and interpreters. The final costs will depend on the number of the party travelling and the exchange rate at the time of confirming the bookings.
Next steps: To register your interest in taking part in this tour of learning, please email Dinah with the name of growers and the business name. Please do this by 21st September so we can ensure we have minimum numbers.
Suggested itinerary:
Day 1, Monday 12th April – meeting in Shanghai to depart from airport or hotel (early morning)
Visit LEAFA – multi-span film greenhouse
Huili – PC sheet production line and greenhouse cladding samples
Shantong Road Factory
Shanghai Yongor Screen factory – climate screens, insect nets, ground covers, thermal insulation materials
Lunch and dinner included
Focus on Shanghai suppliers
Stay: Hongqiao area
Day 2,Tuesday 13th April – travel to Beijing by bullet train and Beijing visits
Train to Beijing morning
Visit Beijing Kingpeng – 21 hectare glass greenhouse to see climate control, screens, heating ventilation, CO2, irrigation, drainage recovery, crop performance, quality consistency, labour efficiency, operating data.
Dinner included
Focus on Kingpeng – large greenhouse complex
Day 3, Wednesday 14th April – Beijing visits and travel to Chiping
Kingpeng Greenhouse Park (lettuce) – smaller greenhouse to compare what is scalable
Fenglong factory – motors, screens and film rollers, plastic film and film fixing systems
Focus on compact systems and ventilation
Train and transfer to hotel in Chiping
Day 4, Thursday 15th April – Chiping – Weifang - Shouguang
Greenhouse visit (strawberries – 8 ha) Chiping
Train to Weifang
Greenhouse and equipment supplier visit, Weifang
Transfer to Shoungang hotel
Focus on large scale crop operations
Highlights for day 4: irrigation, substrate, drainage, production records, biological controls, hygiene, staff workflow, product traceability, harvest workflow, packing and operational practices
Day 5, Friday 16th April – Visits in Shouguang
Visits today hope to cover:
Shouguang Vegetable Standardisation Centre
China Shouguang Vegetable Town – Dutch style hanging cultivation
Haier Si Seedlings – seed production & technical exchange
Boyun IoT – Smart fertigation and greenhouse data systems
Lisente greenhouse (semi-closed) & workshop
Lunch and dinner included, return to Shouguang hotel
Focus on greenhouse crop technology
Highlights for day 5: different crop varieties, grafted seedlings, high wire cultivation, semi closed systems including climate control, fertigation, sensors, energy saving
Day 6, Saturday 17th April – Visits Shouguang – Boxing – Qingzhou
Transfer to Boxing (80 kms)
Visit greenhouse (recently constructed) Pangjia Town – semi closed Dutch style (growing cherry tomatoes)
Transfer Boxing to Qingzhou (80 kms)
Visits in Qingzhou hopefully include:
Xinfeng Plastics – greenhouse film manufacturer
Zhongrun – fan and cooling systems
Qingzhou Chuaanyi - water treatment and recycling equipment
Qingzhou Xiangneng HVAC – heating and energy solutions
Overnight in Qingzhou
Lunch included
Focus on greenhouse equipment and energy
Highlights day 6: film performance, fan efficiency, water recycling, heating solutions, climate computers
Day 7, 18th April visit & transfer to international airport for departure
Visit Elite Company Zhucheng – greenhouse work vehicles, internal logistics and automatic packing options
Focus on labour efficiencies
Transfer to train / airport for departure
Notes:
A valid passport and if required, visa for travel to China (and any transit points) will be the responsibility of the individuals travelling
The tour will be extremely busy with no scheduled time for tourist visits. If you want to do tourist visits, please schedule to arrive early and/or stay on at the end of the trip to fit these in.
We will endeavour to visit greenhouses with cucumbers, tomatoes and strawberries as part of this tour
The deadline for registering your interest is 21st September