Major breakthrough in slipper orchid propagation technology, colorful and adorable
In the past, if you wanted to see a slipper orchid, unless you special-ordered one, you could only admire them in the wild. But now the Taoyuan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station has made a breakthrough in propagation technology, mass-producing uniform slipper orchids through tissue culture, so these orchids with their many flower patterns, spots and lines may become a rising star in the orchid world.
The station said that the slipper orchid export market currently has an output value of 20 to 30 million yuan, and if the technology transfer goes smoothly and mass production begins, the slipper orchid market could grow another 2 to 3 times.
The station estimates that after the technology is released, it can drive the market up by more than 2 times
The station said that at present, slipper orchids in Taiwan are mainly sold domestically, and mainly sold abroad, with exports going mainly to Japan and Europe at 24% each and the United States at 10%, with an annual output value of about 20 to 30 million yuan.
"But now that we have made a technological breakthrough and mass production is possible, it could drive the slipper orchid consumer market." Li Shu-chen said, especially since this technology can basically be carried out as long as one has tissue culture equipment. "Many Phalaenopsis growers have this equipment, so moving into slipper orchid cultivation is not difficult either."
At present, the technology has been transferred to only one Taoyuan farmer, and it is not an exclusive license, so any interested grower can apply; costs are estimated to drop by 20 to 30 percent, which in turn can drive the consumer market up by 2 to 3 times.
(This article was funded by the Jianzhen Environmental Education Foundation for personnel expenses under a special project, but the foundation does not interfere at all with news topic selection or interview writing, ensuring news independence.)