Taiwan floriculturists vie for top spot in orchid market

This valuable article was written by Owen Chu and published by Taiwan Journal on October 29, 2004. It features Taiwan's orchid industry, which is playing an increasingly important role in domestic and international flower markets.

Orchids have always been considered a noble flower, a symbol of refinement and virtuosity. Traditionally orchids were grown by a handful of dedicated hobbyists. Nowadays, with the help of various mass-production methods, orchids account for 23 percent of the total production value of Taiwan's domestic flower industry. The total area of land devoted to orchid growing in Taiwan today is about 460 hectares, with an annual export value estimated at US$45 million.

Taiwan's orchid industry has the potential for world leadership. Currently there are more than 300 horticulture companies in Taiwan specializing in orchids, many of which are family enterprises that have been in operation for generations.

Taiwan Sugar Corp., or Taisugar, is the country's only state-run enterprise in the orchid business. The company has a specimen bank for crossbreeding superior types of moth orchids - referred to by the Taiwanese as "butterfly orchids". It uses computers to record the pedigrees of parental specimens and performs about 300 crossbreeding each year. The company's mass-produce seedlings are currently exported to the United States, Japan, Europe and Southeast Asian countries.

A biotech park devoted to orchid production and research and development is currently being set up in southern Taiwan's Tainan County. It will be open to everyone, including breeders and research institutions. This article provides more details.