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9. CUT FLOWER PRODUCTION IN THAILAND - Oradee Sahavacharin[9]

1. Introduction

Administratively, Thailand is divided into 76 provinces and 5 regions (North, Northeast, Centre, East and South). The country has abundant water supply and suitable agro-climatic conditions for the production of various kinds of orchids and other cut flowers. Depending on the location, tropical, subtropical and temperate cut flower species can be grown. Bangkok and the nearby provinces are good for orchids and other tropical flowers, whereas the subtropical and temperate cut flower species are best grown in the north and northeastern parts of the country, especially in the winter season.

The country was the world's fourth largest exporter of cut flowers in 1993 and 1994 (Table 1). Exports consisted almost exclusively of a wide range of cut orchids and amounted to 748.65 million baht (US$ 65.37 million) in 1993 and to 782.45 million baht (US$ 68.20 million) in 1994 (Table 2). The volume of cut orchids exported in 1994 was 11,897 tons. In 1994, Thailand exported orchid cut flowers to Japan, Italy, U.S.A., Germany, Taiwan and the Netherlands. During the same year the country also exported garlands made from orchids to U.S.A., Germany and Taiwan. Besides cut orchids, Thailand exported other cut flowers which were mainly tropical flowers, though the volume was very small. The flowers exported included Jatrophia, Lotus, Ananas, Heliconia, Jasmine, Rose and Marigold.

Although Thailand exported a lot of orchids, it also imported small quantities of cut orchids from Netherlands, India, Malaysia and Singapore, in addition to other cut flowers, mainly temperate, which were imported in larger volumes. The total value of imports in 1994 was 63.58 million baht.

Table 1. World Cut Flower Exports Ranked by Source Country (US $ million) (1992-1994)

Rank

1992

1993

1994

Country

Value

Country

Value

Country

Value

1.

Netherlands

2,153.56

Netherlands

1,456.24

Netherlands

1,586.40

2.

Colombia

395.64

Colombia

415.61

Colombia

431.71

3.

Israel

146.12

Israel

115.26

Israel

134.15

4.

Italy

111.28

Thailand

65.37

Thailand

68.20

5.

Thailand

67.58

Kenya

60.57

Kenya

67.57

6.

Kenya

61.48

Italy

48.39

Ecuador

52.88

7.

Others

388.17

Others

318.94

Others

400.95


Total

3,323.82

Total

2,480.37

Total

2,741.86

Source: International Floriculture Trade Statistics 1995

Remark: 1 US$ = 25 baht (at 1995 rate of exchange)

Table 2. Quantity and Value of Cut Flower Exports from Thailand (1988-1994)

Quantity: Ton; Value: x 1,000 Baht

Year

Cut Orchids

Other Cut Flowers

Total

Quantity

Value

Quantity

Value

Quantity

Value

1988

9,532

515,809

14

1,107

9,546

516,916

1989

10,752

506,898

38

1,210

10,790

508,108

1990

11,678

552,093

38

1,336

11,716

553,429

1991

12,399

662,383

35

1,530

12,434

663,913

1992

11,142

701,328

9

478

11,151

701,806

1993

12,375

748,648

9

1,061

12,384

749,709

1994

11,897

782,446

20

1,268

11,927

783,724

% Change

+3.26

+8.44

-10.96

-3.11

+3.27

+8.42

Source: Thai Customs Department
2. Present Situation of Cut Flower Production

Categories of Cut Flowers

The cut flower production can be divided into two categories i.e. cut orchids and other cut flowers.

Cut Orchids

The production area of orchids was 13,000 rai (6.25 rai = 1 ha) in 1988 and increased to 14,412 rai in 1994 (Table 3). The production was 18,750 tons in 1988 and increased to 25,900 tons in 1994. Main production areas were Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Bangkok, Ratchaburi, Pathum Thani and Ayuthaya.

Table 3. Production Area of Cut Orchids and Other Cut Flowers in Thailand (1988-1994)

Year

Cut Orchids

Other Cut Flowers

Total

Total Area (Rai)

Total Prod. (Ton)

Prod./ Rai (Kg.)

Total Area (Rai)

Total Prod. (Ton)

Prod./Rai (Kg.)

Total Area (Rai)

Total Prod. (Ton)

Prod./Rai (Kg.)

1988

13,000

18,750

1,442

21,045

27,224

1,294

34,045

45,974

1,350

1989

13,100

17,950

1,370

20,271

28,162

1,389

33,371

46,112

1,382

1990

13,100

19,650

1,500

20,071

27,756

1,383

33,171

47,406

1,429

1991

13,200

22,500

1,704

23,700

30,501

1,287

36,900

53,001

1,436

1992

12,534

21,625

1,725

22,316

24,894

1,116

34,850

46,519

1,335

1993

12,614

21,750

1,724

25,700

28,500

1,109

38,314

50,250

1,312

1994

14,412

25,900

1,797

26,981

31,450

1,166

41,393

57,350

1,385

Change

+0.68%

+5.33%

+4.60%

+4.85%

+1.25%

-3.43%

+3.31%

+2.96%

-0.34%

Source: Department of Agriculture Extension

Remarks:

Cut orchids 40 stems/kilogram
Other cut flowers 35 flowers or stems/kilogram
Jasmine 650 kilogram/rai
Orchid cultivars grown for cut flowers are:

Dendrobium:

Anna, Blue, Bangkok Land, Big White, Candy, Candy Kiss, Casablanca, Caesar, Channel, Chidchom, Intuwong, Juliana, Madame Pompadour, Marco Polo, Mary Mak, Missteen, Nina, Royal Pink, Sabin, Sakura, Siam Ruby, Sonia, Walter Oumae, Yoko, Waipahu

Aranda:

Christine, Choo Lai Keun, Nora Blue

Aranthera:

James Storei

Renanthera:

Azimah, Okahara

Mokara:

Jark Kuan

Oncidium:

Golden Shower, Gold Star

Vanda:

Alice Blue


The production cost of Dendrobium cut flowers was 178,741 baht / rai, or 2.27 baht per stem. The income of the farmer was 194,242 baht/rai and the profit 17,501 baht/rai.

Other Cut Flowers

Jasmine: The area had increased from 3,600 rai in 1988 to 5,326 rai by 1994. The annual production was 6,718 tons in 1988 and increased to 9,447 tons in 1994. Main production areas were Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Sawan, Bangkok, Samut Sakhon. The production cost per rai was 75,116 baht or 40.26 baht per kilogram. Average income was 104,365 baht per rai. The profit was 29,249 baht per rai.

Rose: During the years 1988-1993 the production area decreased from 3,500 rai to 2,231 rai. In 1994 it increased to 3,911 rai. The annual production had decreased from 11,257 tons in 1988 to 9,457 tons by 1994. Main production areas were Nakhon Pathom (1,377 rai), Samut Sakhon (905 rai), Nonthaburi (610 rai), Bangkok (235 rai), Ratchaburi (150 rai), and Chiang Mai (106 rai). The average cost of production was 87,883 baht per rai, or 0.76 baht per stem. The profit was 98,050 baht per rai.

Gerbera: The production area of double-strain gerbera had decreased rapidly from 2,000 rai in 1988 to 368 rai by 1994, mainly because the growers changed from the old-fashion double-strain gerbera to European strain with longer vase life. The European strain which is single is more suitable to grow on the highland and is in demand in the local market. Major production areas were Ratchaburi (100 rai), Nonthaburi (64 rai), Phattalung (45 rai), Ranong (25 rai) and Chiang Mai (23 rai). Cost of production was 81,347 baht per rai or 1.09 baht per stem. Average income per rai was 154,859 baht, and the profit was 73,511 baht per rai.

Chrysanthemum: The total area was 580 rai in 1988 and had increased to 998 rai by 1994. The annual production was 1,204 tons in 1988, and had increased to 2,886 tons by 1994. Main production areas were Nonthaburi (432 rai), Chiang Mai (194 rai), Yala (53 rai), Nakhon Phanom (42 rai), Phat Thalung (40 rai). The average cost of production was 59,940 baht per rai or 1.64 baht/stem. The income was 110,634 baht per rai. The profit was 50,694 baht per rai.

Aster Peacock: The production area of 200 rai in 1988 had increased to 407 rai by 1994, and the annual production from 256 tons in 1988 to 529 tons by 1994. Main production areas were Chiang Mai (213 rai), Nong Khai (57 rai), Nonthaburi (35 rai) and Songkhla (31 rai). Production cost per rai was 35,921 baht or 41.21 baht per kilogram. Average income was 48,633 baht per rai. The profit was 12,712 baht per rai.

Production Area

The total area of cut flowers in the year 1994 was 39,893 rai (Table 3). The largest growing area was Bangkok with 8,853 rai, followed by Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom and Nonthaburi with 7,097 rai, 6,780 rai and 5,735 rai respectively (Table 4).

Table 4. Cut Flower Production Area by Province in Thailand (1994)

Rank

Province

Area (Rai)

Percent

1

Bangkok

8,853

22.19

2

Samutsakorn

7,097

17.79

3

Nakhonpathom

6,780

17.00

4

Nonthaburi

5,735

14.38

5

Phayao

1,397

3.50

6

Nakhonsawan

1,300

3.26

7

Ratchaburi

1,033

2.59

8

Lampang

982

2.46

9

Chiangmai

869

2.18

10

Suphanburi

743

1.86

11

Kanchanaburi

385

0.96

12

Kamphaengphet

282

0.71

13

Ranong

277

0.69

14

Songkhla

268

0.67

15

Udonthani

244

0.61

16

Other Provinces

3,648

9.14

Total Area

39,893

100

Source: Department of Agriculture Extension
Table 5 gives the species-wise area for cut flowers grown in 1994. The major kinds were orchids - 14,412 rai, jasmine - 5,326 rai, lotus - 4,371 rai, marigold - 4,072 rai, rose - 3,911 rai, giant milk weed - 2,054 rai, champaca - 1,725 rai and chrysanthemum - 998 rai; the other cut flowers included golden rod, aster peacock, gerbera, torch ginger, gladiolus, heliconia, globe amaranth, anthurium, curcuma, tuberose, red ginger and jatrophia. The main production area of orchids and other tropical cut flowers were Bangkok and the nearby provinces; while the temperate cut flowers namely lily, freesia, tulip, calla lily, alstroemeria, bird of paradise, statice, gypsophilla and carnation were grown in the Northern part (Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai) and the Northeastern Part (Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchani, Udon Thani, Kohon Kaen, Nong Khai and Nakhon Phanom).

Cultivation Conditions

Cut Flowers Grown in the Open Field: Cut flowers which are grown in the open field are: aster peacock, champaca, curcuma, giant milk weed, gladiolus, globe amaranth, heliconia, jasmine, lotus (in water), marigold, tuberose.

Cut Flowers Grown under Protected Conditions: Cut flowers which are grown under protected conditions are:

Shading house (saran) 50% shading:

Orchids

60% shading:

Red ginger, Torch ginger

70% shading:

Anthurium

Rain-proof house (Vinyl house):

Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Gerbera, Lily, Rose

Insect-prevent house (Net house):

Chrysanthemum


Table 5. Cut Flower Production Area by Kind of Flowers Grown in Thailand (1994)

Rank

Flowers

Area (Rai)

Percent

1

Orchid

14,412

36.16

2

Jasmine

5,326

13.36

3

Lotus

4,371

10.97

4

Marigold

4,072

10.22

5

Rose

3,911

9.81

6

Giant Milk Weed

2,054

5.15

7

Champaca

1,725

4.33

8

Chrysanthemum

998

2.50

9

Golden Rod

644

1.61

10

Aster (Peacock)

407

1.02

11

Gerbera

368

0.92

12

Torch Ginger

191

0.48

13

Gladiolus

104

0.26

14

Heliconia

74

0.19

15

Globe Amaranth

63

0.16

16

Anthurium

41

0.10

17

Curcuma

32

0.08

18

Tuberose

24

0.06

19

Red Ginger

10

0.02

20

Others

1,025

2.57

Total Area

39,893 rai

Source: Department of Agriculture Extension

Remark: 6.25 rai = 1 hectare

Advances in Production Technology

Breeding and Selection: Many Universities, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Royal Projects and many companies in the private sector have done good work in improving, introducing and selecting good cultivars of cut flowers for the market. The methods employed for different crops included:

Hybridization:

Orchid, Gerbera, Lily, Anthurium, Curcuma

Somaclonal variation:

Orchid

Induced mutation:

Orchid, Carnation, Chrysanthemum

Induced polyploidy:

Curcuma and Lily

Protoplast fusion and genetic engineering:

Orchid


Micropropagation: Mass rapid clonal propagation using tissue culture techniques has been employed for commercial multiplication of plant material for the growers in orchid, gerbera, carnation, chrysanthemum, anthurium, curcuma, red ginger, torch ginger, lily, calla lily. There are around 50 commercial tissue culture units in Thailand.

Irrigation Technology: Advanced irrigation methods like sprinkler (for orchid and anthurium) and drip irrigation (for rose, gerbera, carnation, chrysanthemum, lily) are used for automatic watering.

Production Cycle Management: Technology for off-season and year round production for various flower crops were standardised using photoperiodic control (chrysanthemum, aster peacock, curcuma), temperature control (lily, gladiolus) and pinching technique (orchid).

Post Harvest Technology: Research efforts were directed to standardization of post harvest technologies related to improving vase life of cut flowers through using appropriate holding solutions or controlling atmosphere/temperature in cold storage.

3. Production of Planting Material

The requirement of planting material for cut flower production was mainly met through introduction of seed (marigold, statice, bird of paradise), bulbs (lily, gladiolus, calla lily), cuttings (carnation, chrysanthemum, jasmine), divisions (gerbera, aster peacock, red ginger, heliconia, torch ginger, alstroemeria, tuberose) and budding and grafting (rose). In addition, as mentioned earlier, micropropagation (tissue culture) was used for mass production of planting material for various species.

4. Marketing

Most cut flowers are for domestic consumption, except orchids 50% of which are exported. During the period 1988-1994, the demand for domestic consumption of orchids and other cut flowers increased from 33,696 tons to 46,330 tons (Table 6).

Table 6. Demand and Supply of Cut Flowers in Thailand (1988-1994)

Unit: Ton

Year

Demand

Total

Supply

Domestic Prod.

Imports

Domestic Cons.

Exports

1988

45,974

268

46,242

33,696

9,546

1989

46,112

319

46,431

35,641

10,790

1990

47,406

373

47,779

36,063

11,716

1991

53,001

364

53,365

40,931

12,434

1992

46,519

504

47,023

35,872

11,151

1993

50,250

473

50,723

38,339

12,384

1994

57,350

897

58,247

46,330

11,917

% Change

+2.96

+18.33

+3.09

+3.05

+3.24

Source: Office of Agricultural Economics

Remarks: Domestic Consumption = Domestic Production + Imports - Exports

For local consumption, there is demand for high quality flowers by hotels, restaurants and florist shops. The flowers must be attractive, large, colourful, with long vase life. The demand is all year round. Other consumer groups use flowers for religious purpose, where the quality of flowers does not have to be so high, and cheap price is more important. The cut flower demand is changing according to the occasions in Thai society.

The price of cut flowers depends on grade and quality, the season and demand during special occasions, like Buddhism days and Graduation days. During 1994-95 the average price for major cut flowers was: for orchids 2.49 baht/stem; rose 1.61 baht/stem; chrysanthemum 3.02 baht/stem; gerbera 2.07 baht/flower; aster peacock 1.61 baht/stem; jasmine flower 55.93 baht/kilogram.

5. Constraints in Cut Flower Production Development

Although Thailand has the fourth rank in world export of cut flowers, there are several constraints to be considered for future development of this industry. These are as follows:

(i) The multiplication rate of the selected cultivars by conventional methods is slow; therefore, tissue culture micropropagation is used.

(ii) High initial investment, especially the cultivars that have to be imported or grown under controlled greenhouse conditions.

(iii) Increasing labor cost.

(iv) Short vase life.

(v) Production depends on the season, and not always on the market demand. Sometimes there are not enough flowers, and sometimes there are too many flowers, which results in unstable prices.

(vi) Improper application of chemicals for controlling diseases and pests.

(vii) Post-harvest technology and packaging suitable for Thailand are not available.

(viii) No cool storage at the airport.

(ix) Insufficient air cargo space during the peak season for export.

(x) Lack of efficient systems in communication and information, resulting in difficulty to plan production according to the market demands.

(xi) The strict phytosanitary requirements enforced in the importing countries.

6. Potential for Cut Flower Production Development

Thailand has the capability to develop a sound cut flower industry for export due to favourable climatic and infrastructural conditions, cheap land, low labor cost, relatively low capital investment and high value addition. Future potential for the cut flower industry in Thailand is very good, but it is necessary to ensure that the flowers are of high quality, there is a reliable and continuous supply of flowers, sufficient quantities of selected cultivars and competitive prices.

The Eighth Economic Development Plan for cut flower development in Thailand in the next five years (1997-2001) indicates that the production area should increase by 2.67%, the production per rai by 5.63% and the export value by 4%. The production area of cut flowers was 45,000 rai in 1997 and is expected to increase to 50,000 rai in 2001. The total annual production volume is 62,550 tons, and is expected to increase to 86,850 tons.

7. Conclusions

At present, Thailand has the fourth rank in the world cut flower exports market with orchid as the main crop. Orchid cut flowers form only a relatively small fraction of the world cut flower market. The top-seller cut flowers in the world market like carnation, chrysanthemum, rose, gypsophyla, gladiolus, asiatic lily, tulip, iris, oriental lily, daffodil and cape flower, can also be grown in Thailand. Research and development efforts have to be strongly supported for the improvement of the cut flower industry in the country.


[9] Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.

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