At the end of October, people in Taiwan had an opportunity to see a cornucopia of flowers in one location. The long-awaited 2007 Taipei International Flower Exhibition was held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 at the Taipei World Trade Center after a 12-year hiatus, attracting thousands of horticulturists, flower enthusiasts and visitors.
"Just seeing the giant floral 'waterfall' composed of tens of thousands of white butterfly orchids, roses, bamboos and lilies at the entrance of the show is worth the visit," Ann Lin of Taipei Flowers Auction Co. Ltd., one of the hosts of the exhibition, said Nov. 1. Jammed with a wide variety of flowers and plants, the exhibition was sponsored by the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture, the highest governing body of the nation's agriculture industry, and organized by the Taiwan Floriculture Development Association, a nonprofit organization that promotes the floral sector's expansion.
Taiwan's floricultural industry has advanced significantly, mainly due to favorable weather, sophisticated cultivation techniques and industrious farmers, the COA noted. To further boost the sector, the government has established a task force of technical consultants, set up a modern transportation infrastructure and implemented cutting-edge planting methods to assist local businesses in making inroads into international markets, the agency added.
In 1995, the growing area for flora was 9,661 hectares, which generated approximately US$273 million in revenues. Last year, however, the figures rose to 13,375 hectares and US$379 million. Meanwhile, Taiwan's exports of flowers grew rapidly as well. The export value amounted to US$78 million in 2006, up from US$9.7 million in 1995, and is projected to reach US$100 million this year, the COA noted.
"Orchids, especially butterfly orchids or phalaenopsis, are one of Taiwan's leading exports of potted plants," Lin said. "The quality, shape, color and assortment of the orchids grown by our experienced breeders surpass those from other countries," Lin claimed. Taiwan's tropical climate is ideally suited for growing butterfly orchids and farmers' greenhouse-cultivation techniques are mature enough to produce unique species, she stated.
Lin further explained that in terms of cut flowers, dancing lady is the number one export. "We have developed many of our own dancing ladies. Some of them are special, such as perfume-flavored or chocolate-flavored ones," Lin noted. In addition, the nation's endemic flowers, such as anthuriums, lilies and chrysanthemums, are in great demand globally, she said.
With regard to export destinations, Japan is where most of Taiwan's flowers are shipped to, Lin remarked, "because the floral culture there has been developed much longer. Flowers have become an indispensable part of people's daily life." In Japanese culture, flowers represent delight and relaxation, so people buy flowers to cheer themselves up, she explained. The European and American markets are the next targets for Taiwan-grown flowers and plants, Lin stated.
In addition to tens of thousands of fresh plants vying with each other for attention at the exhibition, Young Star Floral Co. Ltd. presented its patented product--preserved flowers--that are made under special processes, such as quick freezing and dehydration. "Our flowers are neither dried flowers nor plastic ones," Doris Lin, an employee at Young Star, pointed out Nov. 1, "but they can keep looking fresh for several months, even years." After researching how to preserve the quality and color of the flora 30 years ago, the company has mainly sold its "immortal" flowers in foreign countries, where people, influenced by their culture, buy flowers for different occasions more often.
"Hotels or restaurants are frequent customers of preserved flowers, as these have lower costs and are also easy to care for," Lin explained, adding that people who adore flowers but do not know how to arrange them can also try to display these durable flowers at home. At present, the company has made a breakthrough in processing leaves, which is much more difficult than processing petals, buds and pistils, Lin stressed. "After conducting market research, we found that domestic consumers are very interested in our flowers and are gradually able to accept them, so the flowers might hit the local market next year," she said.
In his opening address on the first day of the exhibition, President Chen Shui-bian said Oct. 31 that the global floral sector has been one of the fastest-growing traditional industries since World War II. Taiwan, Chen continued, entered the sector after Japan, the United States and the Netherlands, but has come far with governmental assistance. Taiwan Orchid Plantation, for instance, was constructed in 2003 in Tainan County of southern Taiwan to enhance the nation's status as "the kingdom of butterfly orchids," he said.
In terms of legal framework, Chen mentioned that the government announced the Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act in 2004, with the aim of ensuring Taiwan's breeders to apply for patent protection of their endemic varieties in the European Union. "At present, the European Union, the United States, Australia and Japan have approved our patent registrations," he said, adding that it was beneficial for Taiwan's horticulturists in proceeding with their global marketing strategy.
The five-day event showcased 468 flower arrangements by over 200 local and foreign companies and more than 100 flower groups, with around 80,000 visitors and approximately US$3 million in sales generated during the show, according to the TFDA.
Write to Allen Hsu at allenhsu@mail.gio.gov.tw