Thailand’s orchid flower sale in the UAE topped 12,447,538 million baht ($0.4m) in the first half of 2011, and is expected to hit $1.2m mark by end of year, Supaporn Wan-aloh, the acting Director of Thailand Trade Centre in Dubai has said.
Speaking to Alrroya.com at this year’s International Plant Expo - the Middle East’s largest trade show for perishables and plants exhibition - in Dubai Wan-aloh said the Southeast Asian country exported cut orchid flowers and live potted ones worth more than 34,232,656m baht ($1.1m) in value in 2009, but plunged $100,000 to $1m in 2010, due to devastating La Nina weather pattern.
“This year however, the prospects look great as we’ve had ideal temperature and we expect a good bloom as most of the commercial orchid nurseries are maintained in weather controlled green houses,” Wan-aloh added.
At the elegantly boutique-designed pavilion in the exhibition grounds, Thailand is showcasing its various species of orchids, which range in all hues, from favourite lavender purple, to pastel pinks and soft blues through to vibrant yellows and deep reds.
“Orchids have become a timeless and classic flower that never goes out of style, not only in Thailand but in many countries around the world,” the executive gushed.
The plants are arranged in different forms according to their use. They may come as a bunch, a bouquet, a plant with a blossom, a young potted-plant, a garland, or a single blossom to decorate a gift box.
“We are participating in this exhibition since we want to showcase our flowers directly to customers and also we’re always looking at expanding our markets in this region,” Wan-aloh added.
Agro-climatic conditions ideal for flowers
Ready-made garlands made from orchids, live potted plants and cut orchid’s are Thailand’s most prized blooms in the floriculture business. With its gorgeous shape and dazzling variety rainbow of colours, the orchid has long been cherished as a natural treasure and part of the nation’s cultural heritage.
According to Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), Thailand is the largest exporter of tropical orchids in the world and second overall to the Netherlands, which specialises in temperate species. Its major international export markets in North America are the United States and Canada. In Europe, markets for Thai orchids are Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and Poland, while in Asia they include Japan, South Korea and China.
“There are also significant customers here in the Middle East and also Africa,” the executive added.
Thailand has abundant water and its agro-climatic conditions are suitable for the production of various kinds of orchids and other cut flowers. The country is divided into five regions - North, Northeast, Centre, East and South - and depending on the location, tropical, subtropical and temperate cut flower species can be grown. Many orchid species thrive in the favourable tropical climate and produce perfect blooms.
“The weather, moisture, and sunlight also play an important role and they have to be balanced to produce good quality as well as the right quantity,” she said, adding “Bangkok and the nearby provinces are good for orchids and other tropical flowers, whereas the subtropical and temperate cut flower species are best grown in the north and northeastern parts of the country.”
Queen of Majestic beauty
With a vase-life of about 10-12 days, Thai cut-orchids are known the world over as “Queen of Majestic Beauty’ due to their unique feel, quality and multi hues.
Farming orchids is a delicate business as each species requires its own knowledge of handling and care. The cost of orchid farming is also not cheap as it includes construction of specialised greenhouses.
“Other expenses like labour, chemicals, fertiliser, seeds, and equipment can also be costly, and the Thai government always tries to aggressively help the flower farmers by helping in marketing and promotions during events like this,” said Wan-aloh.
An orchid normally yields a maximum of six bunches of flowers per year for about three years only. Quality control is another important issue.
“The way orchids are commercially grown in Thailand, from seedlings to full-bloom ensures the quality is maintained in the entire process,” Wan-aloh said.
“Thai orchids are nurtured with great care by professionals along every step of the way to ensure that only perfect flowers are delivered to markets worldwide,” she added.
Soaring demand from emerging markets
According to the standard exporting demands, the blossoms on an orchid bunch and its length must be maintained. During transportation, the temperature of the truck is kept between 20-25ºC to maintain their freshness.
At present, Thailand is home to more than 1,000 documented species of orchids, and according to the executive, “The most dominant grown in the country for export is the Dendrobium family, with more than 80 per cent of the species in the global market coming from Thailand.”
Other species also grown in significant quantities include Mokara, Oncidium, Aranthera, Aranda, Vanda, Arachnis, Renanthera, Ascocenda, Phalaenopsis, Cattleya and Paphiopedilum.
Besides cut and live potted orchids, Thailand exports other flowers including Jatrophia, Lotus, Ananas, Heliconia, Jasmine, Rose and Marigold.
“The prime blooming season for most orchids in Thailand is August, in the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, where native wild orchids are famed for their range of species and beautiful hues,” said the government official.
Wan-aloh told Alrroya.com that the country has also seen increasing demand in new and emerging markets including China, India and Russia, in the last three years.
Aside from having diverse flower species, Thailand is also world-renowned for its tropical fruits, with market size for fresh fruit and vegetable products contributing 8,000 million baht per annum, according to FAO.
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