Qingdao SOCO New Material Co., Ltd. will exhibit at Hort Connections 2026 in Adelaide from June 1–4, marking the Chinese soil hydrogel specialist's latest push into the Australian and broader Asia-Pacific agricultural inputs market. The company, which markets its products under the SOCO® brand, will occupy Booth 141 at the Adelaide Convention Centre, presenting water-retention hydrogel technologies aimed at horticulture operators and turf managers.
The move signals a commercial offensive into a market increasingly defined by water scarcity economics. Australia's horticulture sector — which contributes roughly $14 billion annually to the national economy — has faced compounding drought cycles and irregular rainfall patterns that have elevated demand for soil moisture management inputs. SOCO positions its polymer-based hydrogels as a cost-mitigation tool, arguing they reduce irrigation frequency and improve crop yield consistency under variable conditions.
Hort Connections, co-hosted by Ausveg and the Produce Marketing Association Australia-New Zealand, is one of the region's largest trade gatherings for the fresh produce and horticulture supply chain. The 2026 edition in Adelaide draws growers, agronomists, input suppliers, and procurement executives, making it a strategically important platform for overseas suppliers seeking distributor relationships and direct buyer engagement in the Australian market.
For SOCO, the Adelaide exhibition follows a pattern of trade-show-led market entry common among Chinese agri-input manufacturers seeking regulatory-light pathways into export markets. Soil amendment products such as hydrogels generally face lower approval barriers than crop protection chemicals, offering a faster route to commercial partnerships. The company has previously exhibited at horticulture and landscaping events across Europe and the Middle East as part of a multi-region growth strategy.
The broader hydrogel agricultural inputs market is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 10.0% through 2030, driven by water stress in key growing regions and rising grower interest in precision input management. Australian adoption has lagged some European markets but is accelerating alongside government-backed water-efficiency incentive programmes. SOCO's Adelaide presence is designed to convert trade-show visibility into distributor agreements and pilot-programme commitments ahead of the Southern Hemisphere's next planting cycle.
For context on how agri-input suppliers are navigating sustainability-linked procurement demands, see F&B Industry News coverage of supply-chain sustainability trends and agri-input market dynamics.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
