Provincial executive Adri Bom-Lemstra of Zuid-Holland province has raised the issue of illegal copying of patented Dutch plant varieties with a Chinese trade delegation from Yunnan province. The delegation, consisting of 40 people, spent three days visiting Zuid-Holland province this week, to learn about the horticultural industry and to meet Greenport entrepreneurs in Zuid-Holland province.
Dutch growers of flowers, vegetables and fruit are increasingly facing illegal propagation of their plant varieties. Certain varieties, which often involved years of research before they were launched on the market, are protected by a patent. According to Sander Smeding of Anthura, the share of illegal copies on the Chinese market was around 50% in 2010, which by now has increased to 70%.
More and more Dutch horticultural entrepreneurs are dealing with this problem in China. Some of them have decided to stop doing business with China, or to give up altogether. Provincial executive Adri Bom-Lemstra addressed the problem to Vice Governor of Yunnan province, Zhang Zulin, and asked him to be stricter with regards to this issue.
Collaboration
There was great interest among entrepreneurs from Greenport Westland-Oostland to meet the Chinese directors, government officials and entrepreneurs during the seminar at the Provincial Council Building. Various companies from the Westland-Oostland region are already doing business in Yunnan, especially those involved in floriculture.
Yunnan is a mountainous province in the south of China and has 44 million inhabitants.
