IT was an offer a Mount Egerton lavender farm couldn’t refuse.
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A Melbourne lingerie company had approached Yuulong Lavender Estate last year with a proposal to help sell teddy bears to China.
Yuulong would provide lavender to the Melbourne company to manufacturer into purple ‘Mikey’ bears and export them to Chinese retailers.
Part-owner Debbie Macfarlane said the wheat and lavender bears had been in hot demand after being retailed in February.
“Lavender products have become the ‘new thing’ in China,” Ms Macfarlane said.
“The bears are kind of another spin on the wheat bag.”
All lavender used in the bears is grown at the estate.
“Lavender is in such short supply,” Ms Macfarlane said.
“We have had so many people calling up and wanting to buy our lavender. They can’t get enough of it.”
“There is another big lavender farm that can’t keep up with the demand in Tasmania,” she said.
Ms Macfarlane said the teddies were also popular among Melbourne customers.
“The Chinese come from Melbourne, get their teddies and then go back to Melbourne,” she said.
The estate has sold hundreds of bears since February.
Yuulong Lavender Estate re-opens to the public on August 9.