Taiwanese dancing-doll orchids account for 90 percent of the Japanese dancing-doll orchid market, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, adding that Japan has become Taiwan’s second-largest flower and seedling export market.
A delegation led by Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) on Wednesday met with representatives of Ota Floriculture Auction Co during their visit to the Foodex Japan exhibition in Tokyo.
Citing a presentation by Ota Floriculture development department manager Takeshi Matsunaga, the ministry said the Ota Flower Market is the fourth-biggest flower market in the world.
Photo: Chen Yen-ting, Taipei Times
It is the most significant platform for flower auction and distribution in Japan, through which about 80 percent of flowers in the country are delivered to customers, Matsunaga was cited as saying.
Taiwanese dancing-doll orchid exports to Japan made up 90 percent of the species’ market in the country, while moth orchids and flamingo flowers accounted for about 50 percent in their respective markets, Matsunaga said.
Taiwan-grown flowers are high quality and have been widely recognized by Japan’s floriculture industry and consumers, he said.
Taiwan-grown flowers exported to Japan were previously mostly used for business, such as decoration for public spaces or funerals, the ministry said.
However, the ministry has in recent years begun collaborating with the domestic flower industry to explore other ways to enter the Japanese floriculture market, given that the aging workforce in the Japanese floriculture industry has become a challenge.
Data from Taiwan Floriculture Exports Association’s Taiwan Floriculture News showed that fresh-cut dancing-doll orchid plants were priced from ￥173 to ￥293 (US$1.09 to US$1.85) in Tokyo in January.
Dancing-doll orchids planted in six-inch pots were priced at about ￥1,500, while moth orchids of the same size were priced from ￥3,200 to nearly ￥5,000, it showed.
Taiwan’s flower and seedling exports totaled NT$6.05 billion (US$189.98 million) last year, of which exports to Japan accounted for nearly 30 percent at NT$1.77 billion, making it one of Taiwan’s major flower export markets, second only to the US, the ministry said.
While dancing-doll orchids are the most popular flower in major flower auction markets in Japan, other species, such as moth orchids, lisianthuses or flamingo flowers have also carved a good market share, it said.
The ministry will continue to assist the industry in developing new flower species and a more resilient global supply chain amid an economic slowdown and rising geopolitical conflicts, it added.
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