Using nanoprinting technology, Taiwanese orchid vendors have produced white orchids printed in blue and yellow to resemble the Ukrainian flag and are to sell them for charity at the Taiwan International Orchid Show.
The “Ukraine-color orchids” have been presented to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Vice President William Lai (賴清德) as gifts, Taiwan Orchid Growers Association secretary-general Tseng Chun-pi (曾俊弼) said.
This is another gesture to show Taiwan’s support for Ukraine, which is under attack by Russia, following a government-led effort to collect donations, which have reached more than NT$330 million (US$11.64 million) in just five days.
Photo: Screen grab from President Tsai Ing-wen’s Facebook
Taiwanese orchids are exported to 63 countries, making it one of the nation’s most important agricultural products, Tseng said, adding that 14,020 tonnes were sold for nearly NT$4.5 billion last year.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the export volume and value of Taiwan’s moth orchids still increased 8.5 percent and 14.7 percent respectively, thanks to the pro-export policy adopted by the Council of Agriculture.
Taiwan holds the biggest market share of nanoprinted orchids, Tseng said.
In comparison to the traditional printing method that dyes flowers through capillary action, inkjet nanoprinting is able to produce softer colors without blocking stomata on the petals, Tseng said.
The technology is risk-free for plants and humans, he added.
However, the time-consuming and labor-intensive procedure of inkjet nanoprinting doubles or triples the price of the printed orchids, which are therefore mostly used in exhibitions.
Taiwanese nanoprinted orchids are very popular in Australia, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the market, Tseng said.
Among the nearly 4,000 types of orchids, inkjet printing is only used on 500 that are more commonly seen on the market, with the global bestseller “V3” moth orchids topping the production list, he said.
In addition to the charity sale, Taiwanese inkjet printing company Symon Agricultural Biotech is to display nanoprinted orchids at the show, which runs from March 26 to April 5.
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