Orchids can earn Saint Lucia 4 million dollars annually says Taiwanese ambassador
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Orchids can earn Saint Lucia 4 million dollars annually says Taiwanese ambassador |
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Contact: Taiwanese
Thursday 26 May 2011 – An open day activity at the Orchid Greenhouse at Union was held on May 25, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. The event was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture in order to demonstrate the high quality of orchids and other plants produced at the Tissue Culture Lab at Union, to announce new attractive prices for these products, and to encourage farmers and entrepreneurs to join this venture.
More than 80 people participated in the occasion. Participants included Minister Ezechiel Joseph, Permanent Secretary Hubert Emmanuel from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ambassador Tom Chou of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Sunny Hsiao, Head of the Taiwan Technical Mission, representatives from flower associations, hotels, restaurants supermarkets, farmers, and the local media.
According to Ambassador Chou, Saint Lucia has the capability to mass produce orchids and other high-value plants. The mass production capability enables the orchid greenhouse at Union to produce more competitive products to meet the demand of domestic and overseas markets. Taiwan has transferred successfully the tissue culture technology which is the key factor that leads to the mass production capability of Saint Lucia.
Other than transferring technology, Taiwan has provided Saint Lucia with $EC 5 million to establish a tissue culture lab and two orchid greenhouses at Union. The project started in the early part of 2008. The government of Taiwan hopes that its Saint Lucian counterparts will take over the project in 2014.
Taiwan is one of the three largest orchid producing countries in the world. The value of Taiwan’s orchid exports is more than $EC 200 million per year. The tissue culture lab at Union will produce 100,000 orchid seedlings this year. If the orchids are sold at EC$ 40 each, the annual income from the products will be $EC 4 million.
The ambassador pointed out that the beautiful orchids match the image of Saint Lucia—the best honeymoon location in the world. The orchid project is just one of several joint efforts between the two governments designed to make the country more attractive to all. |
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