an innovative melioration of yunnan’s flower-and-plant export by air based on kunming airport

1、<p>　　An Innovative Melioration of Yunnan’s Flower-and-plant Export by Air Based on Kunming Airport</p><p>　?。∣xbridge College, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650041） </p>

2、<p>　　Abstract. This research is set in the construction of Kunming new airport and the launching of zero tariffs in China-ASEAN free trade zone. The purpose of this research is to propose innovative suggestions fo

3、r the improvement of logistics process of cold chain for Yunnan’s flower-and-plant export by air. The paper, in accordance with the logistics characteristics of flower-and-plant and its current export trend, firstly anal

4、yzes the weaknesses of the logistics from the perspective of cold chain.</p><p>　　Key words: flower-and-plant, cold chain, export procedures, by air. </p><p>　　1 Introduction </p><p&g

5、t;　　Yunnan province in China, thanks to its exceptionally rich natural recourses and species and amicable climates, is one of the three areas suitable for implantation of flower-and-plant in the world. With the biggest p

6、lanting base in China, the sales of Yunnan’s flower-and-plant accounts for around 50% of domestic market in more than 70 cities. In particular, 10% of output is exported to overseas market. In the process of these practi

7、ces, a set of production chain and logistics system have been co</p><p>　　On the other hand, here come great opportunities to Yunnan’s flower-and-plant export since 2010. A huge potential market has opened t

8、o Yunnan after China-ASEAN free trade zone executes zero tariffs since 2010 for agricultural products exchange. Also, China central government takes Yunnan province as the window open to ASEAN nations. Among governmental

9、 policies in support of Yunnan’ s opening-up, new Kunming airport is designed to the top four hub airport in China, a center of passengers and frei</p><p>　　This paper, from the perspective of cold chain and

10、 the flower-and-plant export by air, aims to find out where these weaknesses occurred, analyze reasons related and then work out solutions to smooth the process for the purpose of improve their competitiveness. </p>

11、;<p>　　2 Current Export </p><p>　　Until the end of 2011, Yunnan’s flowers-and-plant find its market in 46 nations such as the USA, the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Si

12、ngapore. In particular, more than 90% of the export remains in Asia market in Japan, Singapore and Thailand. Statistics in recent 2 years is exhibited in Table 1. </p><p>　　It can be seen from the above tabl

13、e, implantation, total value and export value of Yunnan’s flower-and-plant maintains up growing trend in recent two years, regardless of world economy recession. Underlying this table, we also can witness the popularity

14、of Yunnan’s flower-and-plant in other aspects. </p><p>　　2.1 Market Variation </p><p>　　In 2009, a decrease of export of Yunnan flower-and-plant was shown in Australia, Japan and Chinese Hong Ko

15、ng region’s market in the shadow of global financial crisis but there was a sharp increase in ASEAN market. In 2010, a stationary phase was shown in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong market. While a climbing up of 50% of ex

16、port volume occurred in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Burma. And Bangladesh, India, Saudi Arabia imported considerably more Yunnan’s flower-and-plant than that of in 2009. </p><p>　　Besides cutting fresh f

17、lowers, stylish and newly-cultivated flowers and plants such as germchit, bail and preserving flowers are cultivated to the market abroad successfully. </p><p>　　2.3 Export Enterprises Increase </p>&

18、lt;p>　　Statistics showed that a 7% enterprise in Yunnan is shared by those involving in Yunnan’s flower-and plant export, with an increase to 50 in number in 2010. And more firms are expected to join in the export mar

19、ket in following years. </p><p>　　3 Analysis of Export Procedures of Yunnan’s </p><p>　　Flower-and-plant by Air </p><p>　　3.1 Export Procedures by Air </p><p>　　The cur

20、rent Yunnan’s flower-and-plant export by air works in the following processes: picking them at the implantation bases, concentrating to Donan fair for selling and delivering to the airport to be exported by air. Such pro

21、cedure can be illustrated as below chart 1. </p><p>　　3.2 Weaknesses Analysis of the Export Procedures of the Flower-and-plant </p><p>　　Underlying the chart above, we can find out some fundamen

22、tal faultiness contributing to the whole deficiencies of the current flower-and-plant logistics process. </p><p>　　3.2.1 Far Less Comprehensive Operations of Cold Chain </p><p>　　At present, the

23、 most serious question that hinders the quality of whole logistics relies on the lack of comprehensive operations of cold chain, which are the guarantee of successful flower-and-plant logistics and thus are deemed as the

24、 major reason for the heavy loss occurred. Due to the fragile and perishable features of the flower-and-plant, cold chain operation should cover the complete logistics procedures since the moment they are cut at the impl

25、antation base. On the contrary, when cutting </p><p>　　Smooth operations at the airport cannot be accomplished in the following aspects: </p><p>　　Firstly, the airport is not equipped with suffi

26、cient space for keeping the flower-and-plant fresh. Before May 2010, Kunming airport cannot provide any service for temperature’s adjustment for perishable cargoes even in the customers’ warehouse. At the end of May 2010

27、, a warehouse of cold chain passage, with 1100 square meters in area and 4600 cubic meters in volume, is put into use at the Kunming airport. The warehouse can provide temperature adjustments between 53.6 and 7.6 degrees

28、 Fahrenheit, </p><p>　　Secondly, flower-and-plant cannot be handled properly at the Kunming airport. Pallets are usually used in air freight to smooth the airport operation in a way that certain units of car

29、tons are collected at one pallet and then handled by tracking car when security inspection and loading on the air craft are processed. The current practice at Kunming airport, however, is that pallets are neither adopted

30、 in air freight nor handled by work force. In latter case, loading and unloading cannot be taken</p><p>　　Thirdly, the shipping space on the air craft may constitute a big threat, that is, space confirmation

31、 from airlines cannot be confined to flower-and-plant in peak seasons. Compared with tricholoma matsutake, flower-and-plant is categorized to less valued cargo. With taking into tight space and maximum weight limitation

32、into account, airlines choose to surrender flower-and-plant to tricholoma matsutake from every June to September. Therefore the air transport is prolonged at the cost of much more</p><p>　　To sum up, the who

33、le process takes the logistics characteristics of flower-and-plant into least practical consideration. It is not because practitioners have no perception about preservation but because they are incented by cost-saving. A

34、ny fresh-keeping treatment must entail them extra cost, which they are reluctant to pay or they are far less affordable. Similarly, cold chain must connect with Kunming airport’s warehouse, an important logistics knot, w

35、here temperatures and moisture can be adju</p><p>　　It can be thus concluded that any approach aiming at improve the export process of flower-and-plant must take its characteristics of logistics into feasibl

36、e consideration. From the perspective of cold chain based on the new Kunming airport, this paper presents some suggestions about how to solve these deficiencies. </p><p>　　4.1 Availability of a Comprehensive

37、 and Consecutive Cold Chain </p><p>　　Key issue we puzzle now thus relies on how to realize a comprehensive cold chain for Yunnan’s flower-and-plant in an economical way that all practitioners could afford a

38、nd practice. Here we discuss the chain from the implantation base to air craft before outbound departure. In accordance with the concept of cold chain and logistics characteristics of perishable goods, the proper way of

39、flower-and-plant’ logistics can be divided into three consecutive cruises: from implantation base to the depart</p><p>　　As is shown in the above flow chart, flower-and-plant requires immediate fresh-keeping

40、 treatment after it is being cut at implantation base, where the cold chain should be prolonged to. The advanced cold chain implies that flower-and-plant cut should be contained at cold cartoons or loaded in refrigerated

41、 cars as soon as possible, in stead of being bound roughly into truss. Thus cold cartoons or refrigerated cars are the must to realize the immediate preservation. </p><p>　　The following on-going target we p

42、ursue for is to deliver cut flower-and-plant to the departure airport, rather than conveying to Dounan fair for exchange. In order to realize the direct transport, three questions must contribute to it: swift road transp

43、ortation to the airport, exchange process simplification or variation and the receipt of flower-and-plant at Kunming airport. Compared with current process, Dounan fair, an exchange place, is eliminated in practice. Its

44、functions, however, cannot</p><p>　　Lastly, when it is comes to the time that the flower-and-plant is standing by for being loaded on the aircraft, the cold chain should continue accordingly. The apron, howe

45、ver, is the least possible place where cold chain could continue. So in order to optimize the loading, personnel in the warehouse, the apron and the aircraft need cooperate to form an integrated flow to constitute a cons

46、ecutive process so that the time of waiting for loading in the apron be saved to a great extend. </p><p>　　To sum, it is not an easy case to realize the comprehensive and consecutive cold chain in the logist

47、ics process of flower-and-plant. Practitioners must on the one hand, change their traditional way of exchange and update their perception about cost-saving, and the airport need input to establish the cold warehouse on t

48、he other hand. Beside, governmental officials in charge of quarantine and customs clearance should work in a way that facilitates their performances. </p><p>　　4.2 Airlines’ Support </p><p>　　As

49、 the actual carrier in the air transportation, airlines provide space to each consignment so that it can realize the cross-boundary transportation. For air freight transport, confirmation of space takes the priority to l

50、ogistics’ practitioners. Provided that the confirmed space is canceled for freight ready for being loaded on the aircraft, more cost of preservation and other additional charge may occur on the one hand, the deferred flo

51、wer-and-plant may suffer losses on the other. In order to </p><p>　　It is not an easy job to improve the whole process of Yunnan’s flower-and-plant in a short time. Among weaknesses contributing to this gene

52、ral issue, cold chain takes the priority. How to establish a comprehensive and consecutive cold chain remains a big challenge for all logistics practitioners, at home and abroad. This challenge is distinct and harder to

53、be handled in Yunnan since its under-developed logistics practice. Instead, how to innovate practitioners’ perception of cost-saving for now </p><p>　　Similarly, airlines should change their management for a

54、ir freight in terms of cooperation with forwarders and enhancement of space service to meet customers’ requirement’s variation. Beside, more international cruise and additional airlines’ service to-and-fro Kunming new ai

55、rport can ease this difficulty. And freight charter can solve this problem in a long run, the feasibility in Kunming airport, however, need also further investigation. </p><p>　　6 Acknowledgements </p>

56、<p>　　Scientific Research Fund Project of Yunnan Provincial Education Department (No. 2010C014). </p><p>　　References </p><p>　　1. Yunchun Cao, YueYi Xing, Hong Jiang,M.S.: Study on the P

57、rocess Reengineering of Yunnan Flower-and-plant Logistics. J. Logistics Technology (2006) </p><p>　　2. Jiang Zhenjian, Shan Lu, Haiou Jing, C.: Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Wuhan University of Tech

58、nology Press, Wuhan(2006) </p><p>　　3. Chinese flowers and trees information, http://www.zghmxx.com/ </p><p>　　4. Kunming Customs District Republic of China, http://kunming.customs.gov.cn/publis