Orchids heading to the world market

Not enough supply for demand

The development potential of orchids in Ho Chi Minh City is still highly evaluated, especially when the output has not yet met the demands of the city as well as the whole country.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang, the owner of the Dendro (Dendrobium) orchid garden in Binh Chanh commune, Binh Chanh district, Dendro orchids is currently very popular with the market because of its beautiful flowers, diverse colors, and relatively affordable prices.

Recently, due to economic difficulties, the consumption of Dendro orchids as well as other orchids has slowed down compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic, but orchids were actually still sold out. On that basis, Mr. Hoang said that in the coming time, when the economy stabilizes again, it is certain that orchid consumption will return to normal because the current supply of orchids is still inadequate to the demand of people in urban areas.

Mr. Luu Cam Hung, the owner of Son Ha orchid garden in Da Phuoc commune, Binh Chanh district, also said that the reduction in orchid consumption in the last few months is only a temporary problem due to the influence of economic difficulties. When the market recovers and the demand increases, orchid farming in the city will grow stronger since orchids not only can live for a long time but also have many selling points. Not only the domestic market, the demand for orchids in the world market is also very high. Therefore, the city's orchid industry is also aiming to access the world's orchid market.

500 hectares of orchids by 2030

Realizing its high economic efficiency and great market potential, Ho Chi MInh city will continue promoting and developing orchid business in the near future.

Mr. Pham Lam Chinh Van, Director of the Agricultural Extension Center of Ho Chi Minh city, said that in order for the city's orchid industry to develop further, first of all, it is deemed essential to promote research and hybridization to create new varieties that can meet the desire of domestic consumers and access the world's market.

Accordingly, in the coming period, the Ho Chi Minh City Agricultural Extension Center will continue to coordinate with other research units specifically the Biotechnology Center to conduct research and new orchid breed that still bears the identity of Vietnamese orchids.

Survey of many orchid garden owners in Cu Chi and Binh Chanh shows that in order to expand the orchid production area of ​​the city, farmers today need more capital, because the resources needed to produce orchid require large investment. Besides, the source of good quality seeds, new orchid varieties is also gardeners' primary concern.

According to Mr. Dinh Minh Hiep, the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ho Chi Minh city, the city's agricultural sector is focusing on groups of important issues for the development of orchids. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ho Chi Minh city has set requirements for the operation of state agencies as well as support for laboratories related to tissue culture in order to ensure that orchid seed production meet 50-60% of the demand for seedlings in the city. In addition, the city's agricultural sector also offers solutions related to technology support, with the goal of achieving 70% of orchid growing areas applying high technology in production.

The city's agricultural sector is promoting support for large-scale orchid production, focusing on advising the city to issue policies related to stimulating investment in the agricultural sector, including supporting loan interest for activities related to orchid production as well as promoting the formation of orchid value chains, from production to consumption, and associating orchid farming with rural tourism activities in Ho Chi Minh city.

Orchids are now one of the key products that clearly show the specificity of urban agriculture in HCM city. Currently, the orchid industry is contributing 10-12% of the city's agricultural growth rate.

Ho Chi Minh city's agricultural industry has set out orientations towards 2030: The city's orchid area will reach 500 ha. Each year the industry can supply 100 million orchid branches and approximately 800,000 orchid pots for the domestic market while still secure output to export to foreign markets.