Keigo Nakamura

Thank you for your usual cooperation and treatment.
From January 14 to 20, I visited Chile (CH), which is lily bulb production in Southern Hemisphere. Herewith I report you that I visited all the bulb production company who will export to Japan, and checked field and situation.

１.Acreage and tendency of variety assortment.

	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	08/07
Total Chile（ha）	170	250	340	392	399	101.79%

Acreage of Chile this year is 399ha in total (+1.79%), by some increase of Sone, and decrease of Southern Bulbs.
As under-attached graphics (Nakamura-Noen research), Chilean acreage have increased a lot every years, but this year is similar to last year, means becaming stabilized.

Total acreage of SH (CH & NZ) is about 600 ha, which is approx one third of Holland Oriental/OT. Dutch grower should be worry with this situation, but I see each SH growers also feel difficulty.
Variety assortment in Chile seems to get influenced by sales of last year. Demand at certain country has changed quickly, and variety which grower only could sell particular size such as Star gazer, Marco Polo, Acapulco, Lombardia etc is decreased acreage. On the other hand, Variety which is suitable for winter forcing and new variety, such as Manissa, Robina, Santander, Helvetia, and LA is increasing.

２．Climate and Bulb
Weather at planting was good, and after November had been less Rain and higher temperature.
X’mas time in December was rather high temperature at some place, specially Los Angels located in North became 38-40 degree C at that time. It became little cooler in January, and when I visited, it was about 20 degree C at highest and below 10 degree C in the night. I felt it’s cold.
I did test-digging at each fields. Enlargement in warm North is already started, North Los Lagos area (Valdivia, Rio Bueno, Lago Ranco) is just started, and most south Osorno area (Puyehue, Osorno, Purranque) is not started, so in general same as last year or little delay (Last year’s temperature in autumn got down earlier and enlargement was not enough).
Beginning of February is mid Summer in southern hemisphere, then bulbs grow in March to May, so we keep eye on climate since now.

Bulbs in general has weight, and we can hope good power contents with good sunshine which is same weather condition as NZ.

３．Sales of 2008 crop and subject
Thank you very much for your many inquiry so far, which helps me so much as a reference to make plan of purchasing.
We have discussed with main exporters and could see more or less whole situation. Due to over production of Dutch crop 2007, World bulb market react negatively, so even SH bulbs should be lowered the general price level.（in spite of exchange rate of Euro is strong!!）
As Dutch production changes, Chilean production also decrease old variety (Less demand and lower price), and increasing new variety.
In the variety selection, there are risks, which ordinary variety decreases dramatically, and unpopular variety gets increased, by one-sided opinion. So we as one of market of SH, need to exchange information more to create close cooperation between production and demand. There is Dutch proverb, “Don’t throw away old shoes before you buy new one”
So far growers in Chile did adjustment of size of bulbs by adjusting planting density, but didn’t use intentional change of planting time, neither plural years field, then size which is not suitable for forcing is also produced.
In this trip, I could see many improve with this kind of technique of growing.
Reason why NZ field looks producing more quantity in less acreage is they know the demand for each variety/size by well marketing research, and also they could somewhat control the enlargement fits for demand.
By the way, what I surprised in this trip NZ and Chile was that wheat field over there is really rapidly increasing (maybe influence of Bio-ethanol?).
Landscape is big changed, thousand of field spread beside high way, this is amazing dynamism and speed of change of agricultural product.
On the other hand, production of Lily bulb is in limited field with delicate irrigation and it’s quite artificial work to adjust size, form and quality, which more has characteristic of horticulture than agriculture, I feel.
Every year, growing technique and system after harvesting are getting improved, then I think that grower who can produce more organized product (who can work according to demand) will take share in market.

Sone
Casa Blanca	Casa Blanca	Conca D’or	Santander
Siberia	Siberia	Sorbonne	Sorbonne
Sorbonne	Brindisi	Vletter’s contracted field	Rialto
Southern Bulbs
Yelloween	Conca D’or	Siberia	Siberia
Sorbonne	Sorbonne	Nova Zembla	Marco Polo
Rialto	Los Angels	Robina	Dis-buding
Other growers　　※（　　）　　ＰＧ＝Piga、　ＳＨ＝Sun Harvest、　Ｓ＆Ｇ＝Sun & Breese
Expression（PG)	Helvetia（PG)	Yelloween（SH)	Starfighter（SH)
Irrigation system（SH)	New warehouse（SH)	Willeke Alberti（S&B)	Warehouse of SH
Serano（S&B)	Helvetia（S&B)	Muscadet（S&B)	Robina（S&B)