Taiwan aims to boost domestic orchid consumption

TAINAN (TVBS News) — Taiwan is praised as the "Kingdom of Orchids," with annual domestic and foreign sales reaching NT$7 billion. Many young farmers are dedicated to the floral industry, aiming to make orchids more accessible daily.

Growing orchids requires tremendous patience. Watering and fertilizing are essential; the plants need a greenhouse to stay warm. A young farmer in Chiayi (嘉義), Chang Chia-chen (張家禎), has been growing orchids for over ten years. He shared that while the industry requires patience, he has long loved the delicate flowers.

However, orchids' novelty often wears off, and consumers become bored with them. It is crucial to introduce new colors, shapes, and sizes, but creating a new flower is a slow art. Breeding takes at least three years, and making the market accept new varieties takes seven years.

Taiwan Orchid Breeders Society chair Chou Po-i (周伯宜) explained the difficulty of breeding: "I breed around 200 capsules a year. Why so many? It is not easy to pick out the good ones. Breeding is not easy. We need to improve market acceptability, which is the target production." He expressed his hope for young farmers, "This is what young farmers are going to do, and they can make it."

Expanding the domestic market is the crucial goal. Agriculture and Food Agency official Su Deng-chao (蘇登照) observed that domestic consumption in Taiwan still has room to grow. "The consumption of flowers in Taiwan is still far lower than in Europe, the US, and Japan," he said. He further pointed out the government's next step, "We hope to cultivate the aesthetics of daily flower use. We are also rooted in the concept of children."

There are diverse ways to promote and showcase the beauty of orchids and strengthen Taiwan's soft power. For example, Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) presidential inauguration state banquet was decorated with butterfly orchids.