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UBINIGUnnayan Bikalper Nitinirdharoni Gobeshona

In English it means Policy Research for Development Alternatives. It is essentially a policy advocacy and research organization that implement the ideas which come out of research works in the form of various programmes and projects. The implementations are elements of living interaction with the community.

Contact: 5/3 Barabo Mahanpur, Ring Road, Shaymoli Dhaka - 1207, Bangladesh Phone: 811-1465, 329-620 e-mail: [email protected]

CWEARCThe Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center

It is a non-governmental organization engaged in organizing, education and services among indigenous women in the Cordillera Region, Philippines since 1987. CWEARC is presently working together with Innabuyog in empowering the indigenous women of the Cordillera through organizing, capacity building and advocacy on indigenous women’s issues. At the same time, CWEARC assists community-level women’s organizations address their socio-economic needs and problems.

Contact: #16 Loro Street,Dizon Subdivision, Baguio CityEmail: [email protected]

PEACPesticide Eco-Alternatives Center

The mission of PEAC is to reduce the use of harmful pesticides in China and to promote alternative ecological forms of pest control, and eventually protect the human health and ecological health for sustainable development. PEAC seeks to reduce the use of harmful chemical pesticides in China through a consumer-driven and farmer-centered participatory-approach. It focuses on: 1. Training and empowering farmers 2. Promoting consumer’s awareness of pesticide dangers 3. Protecting Women Health 4. Advancing Alternatives and Ecological Agriculture 5. Developing appropriate policy responses and advocating policy reform

Contact: Apt. 1212, 1214, 1216, 12/F, Block 14, Yunnan Yingxiang Residential Quarter, Kunming - 650224, YunnanEmail: [email protected]

Poisoned Blossoms. Withering Hopes.The Floriculture industry in Asia

Country Studies: UBINIG & Narigrantha Prabartana (Bangladesh), PEAC (China), CWEARC (Philippines)Compilation and editing: Christine Wittstock and Marjo Busto Quinto

Advisers: Sarojeni V. Rengam and Jennifer MourinProject Assistant: Shakunthala Shunmugam

Cover Design: Cecilia MakLay-out: Dennis Longid (Red Leaf Designs)

Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific 2008

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Contents

Background

Bangladesh1 Introduction

2 Methodologies 2.1 Preliminary Survey 2.2 Case Study Proper 2.2.1 Selection of Study Areas 2.2.2 Data Collection

3 Respondents’ Profile 3.1 Number of Respondents 3.2 Age Profile 3.3 Educational Background 3.4 Income Levels 3.5 Duration of Engagement in Flower Cultivation by Respondents

4 Findings 4.1 Kinds of Flowers Grown 4.2 Method of Cultivation: Source of Seeds/ Cuttings 4.3 Pesticide Use 4.4 Source of Pesticides 4.5 Application of pesticides 4.6 Knowledge of Effects of Pesticides 4.7 Precautionary Measures Taken by Pesticide Users 4.8 Effects on Labourers and Farmer’s Health 4.9 Use of Water 4.10 Women’s Involvement 4.11 Profits from Flowers 4.12 Marketing of Flowers 4.13 Use of Flowers

5 Discussion

References

ChinaPart I. The Flower Industry in China

1. Present Situation 2. Strengths 3. Areas for Improvement 4. Recommended Measures

References

Annexes

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Part II. The Flower Industry in Yunnan Province

1. Present Situation 2. Major Constraints and Challenges in Flower Industry Development 3. Strengths and Potentials 4. Development Framework for Yunnan’s Flower Industry 5. Measures to Develop Yunnan’s Flower Industry

References

Annexes

Philippines1 Overview: Floriculture Industry in the Philippines

2 Floriculture in the Cordillera Region 2.1 Cut Flower Production 2.2 The Marketing System 2.3 Public and Private Institutions Involved in the Cut Flower Industry 2.4 Government Assistance and Intervention 2.5 The Role of La Trinidad Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO)

3 Case Studies: Socio-Economic Profiles of Cut Flower Growers 3.1 Small Owner-tillers 3.2 Combination of Flower Grower and Vegetable Producer 3.3 Grower-leaseholder with Employees 3.4 Large-Scale Production with Contract Growing: the King Louis Farm

4. Case Studies on Health Issues and Pesticide Use 4.1 Sitio Sadag 4.2 Sitio Anuding, Bahong 4.3 Sitio Central Bahong

5 Impacts of Importation on Flower Growers

6 Analysis of Case Studies 6.1 Health Issues and Pesticide Use 6.2 Women issues 6.3 Socio-economic Issues 6.4 Government Intervention 6.5 Impacts of Cut Flower Importation 6.6 Impacts on Food Security

7 Summary and Recommendations

References

Annexes

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The floriculture industry is a growing market in Asia. Although statistics on pesticide use in Asia floriculture are rare, this industry is generally known to use a wide range of chemicals that poison people and the environment. In many countries, workers in flower farms and greenhouses are mainly women who are experiencing numerous health problems. As flowers are not considered as food, there are virtually no restrictions on the amount of pesticides persisting on the imported plants. This encourages both excessive application and the use of more hazardous pesticides, at the expense of the workers.

small-scale farmers and communities who have to bear the brunt of expensive production costs, heavy use of chemical inputs, labour-intensive production and marketing, among others.

Women, and in some areas children are most especially affected since they are the active participants of floriculture production. They are involved in all the activities, from pre-planting, crop maintenance, to harvesting and marketing. These women are highly at risk to the ill effects of pesticide use, particularly on their health and reproductive rights.

There are similar concerns that this development goes along not only with heavy pesticides use but also affects social, political and economic situation of the communities involved with the floriculture industry. The shift from food crop production to cut flower production has threatened the food security of the communities. With the introduction of “high-value cash crops”, ornamental plants and other crops are replacing food crops very quickly in some parts of Asia.

Government interventions and policies, agricultural liberalisation, private-public partnerships, and the whole gamut of corporate agriculture create a crisis for

Background

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In 2005, PAN AP and its partners aimed to shed light on the developments and impacts of the floriculture industry in Asia. The research studies, conducted in Bangladesh, China and the Philippines, drew detailed pictures of the situation of flower production in these countries. The reports highlighted and addressed the needs of flower growers, particularly on the health of women and children, and on the role of women in ensuring food security of the family and communities. Each case study documented and assessed the effects of floriculture on women workers in the rural communities in respect of health and their socio-economic, political and ecological situations.

The Philippines looked into the specific conditions of small-scale flower gardeners and the large-scale production with contract growing in the Cordillera Region (Northern Philippines). Significant developments in the cut flower production and marketing, how cash crop production was promoted through public-private institutions as well as government’s interventions in the cut flower industry were discussed. The research study, carried out by Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center (CWEARC), also put forward several recommendations to improve the status of the women flower gardeners.

The Bangladesh research, prepared by UBINIG and Narigrantha Prabartana, described the local flower production and the extent of use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The study also showed the level of women’s involvement in flower production, cultivation

and marketing aspect and how these affected their health, and socio-economic situation. Entitled “Fuley Gondho Nei…Not fragrant, but poisonous,” the case study also showed that the shift from food to flower production is not likely to bring long-term positive results considering the health and environmental risks associated with flower production.

Conducted by the Pesticide Eco-Alternatives Center (PEAC), the report presented the trends in the flower industry in China, particularly in the Yunnan province, as well as the constraints and challenges with the floriculture industry. While information on the extent of pesticide use and its risks on human health in the flower industry had been limited, the research study clearly presented the development targets and priorities of the province. Strong recommendatory measures were also put forward to ensure the safety and protection of flower farmers and that socio-economic and environmental costs are minimized.

PAN AP hopes that this initiative would be a useful tool in providing information for sharing and exchange with network partners and communities, media and the public, as well as a resource for policy advocacy. While more in-depth research is needed in assessing the impact of pesticides on women, this initiative hopes to start the discussions on the conditions of women who cultivate, harvest, package and market flowers; the problems of pesticide use; and the politics behind the floriculture industry.

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based on Fuley Gondho Nei…Not fragrant - but poisonous

by UBINIG & Narigrantha Prabartana

1 Introduction Flowers, or ‘ful’ in Bangla, play a central role in the Bangladeshi socio-cultural milieu. Flowers are used for different occasions ranging from religious or official functions to family gatherings or community festivities. Its popularity is indicated by the fact that flowers nowadays have become a market commodity. In the past, flowers used to be grown only in the front lawns of houses in both rural and urban areas.

Bangladesh is experiencing a flower boom as a growing number of farmers, who used to cultivate food or other agricultural crops like rice and vegetables, are gradually drawn into the more profitable floriculture. The country already exports orchids and ornamental greenery. The demand for fresh cut flowers has increased over the last few years. The use of commercially available flower varieties has recently become a common practice. Flower shops selling cut flowers throughout the day have mushroomed all over the capital, Dhaka. Flowers are even sold by children at street intersections with traffic lights.

The growth of the local flower industry slowly outpaced the demand for cut flowers, as an imported commodity, like orchids from Thailand and rajnigandha from India. With good market prospects, a vast area of agricultural land has been turned into flower growing areas. Farmers can now deliver the quantity of flowers for export that the market demands. This has encouraged both exporters and the importers to strengthen linkages and promote commercial operations in the flower industry. Meanwhile, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) reports that the reality is flowers are for export commodities and floriculture is a promising endeavour.

Still, information on the production and marketing of flowers is hardly available apart from newspaper accounts encouraging flower production as a “profitable” business. But, local flower production has certainly intensified as more farmers engaged in floriculture. So, too, is the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This report, which looks at flower production highlighting the use of pesticides, is based on a pilot

Case Study: Bangladesh

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study conducted in three areas in Bangladesh known for floriculture.

Agricultural products like flowers enjoy preferential tariff treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). Because they are duty-free, developed countries like the European Union, the United States of America and Japan find buying flowers from Bangladesh highly attractive. Middle Eastern and other Southeast Asian countries also offer excellent prospects for investment and export. These opportunities provided much impetus for the growth of Bangladesh flower exports. Meanwhile, importers find investment in flower cultivation in Bangladesh extremely profitable with improving economic environment and inexpensive labour. Investors also recognize the country’s favourable climatic conditions and capacity to produce a wide range of cut-flowers and foliage that measure up to international standards. Improved methods of transportation also help the perishable merchandise to reach major market destinations within the shortest possible time so that the goods are fresh.

The government shows an extremely positive attitude towards cut flower production because it brings in foreign exchange. However, it is rather difficult to determine which department is actually responsible for policies on floriculture. It is not reflected in the plans and policies of agriculture. For example, there are no policies to protect agricultural land mainly for vegetable production from reportedly being turned into flower production areas. Or for example, there is a need to investigate whether or not cut flower production violates the National Agriculture Policy that seeks to ensure that chemical fertilizers and pesticides used for increased crop production do not turn out to be responsible for environmental pollution.

It appears that cut flowers are seen only from their export potentials. Government documents explicitly state that, “diversification of agricultural production, particularly horticulture and floriculture, can make a substantial contribution to income and employment generation in Bangladesh economy. Export of fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, spices and condiments, and rice from Bangladesh constitute key areas in agriculture which will not only bring about desired changes in the diversification programme of the production base but also in the export programme. Thailand has achieved remarkable success in both diversification of production and exports of agri-products. Bangladesh has more of this potential to make a definite breakthrough in this respect provided a coordinated role of government and private sector can be developed for encouraging investment in this sector, through provision of research and development support, credit and dissemination of modern technology.”

The government also considers cut flower production important for women’s participation in agriculture and extensive training plans have been made to involve them in the diversification of agricultural products. However, the plans are ironic because women are already involved in agriculture but their contribution is not recognized. This study also shows the level of women involvement in flower production.

2 Methodologies2.1 Preliminary Survey

A preliminary basic survey on floriculture was carried out in Dhaka prior to the conduct of study in three selected production areas. This initial study sought to find out: a) the flower varieties available in Bangladesh, whether locally grown or imported, and the places where flowers are cultivated or imported from, b) pesticide use, and c) sources of flower seeds. The following information, which was collected from owners of flower shops, helped in selecting study areas and formulation of interview instrument for the study proper. Table 1 indicates the popularity of sixteen (16) flower species, four of which are imported from India, Thailand and Singapore. This includes chrysanthemum, gladiolus, orchids, and snowball. Locally grown as well as imported are rose, tube rose, and marigold. The rest are also locally grown in the different districts. These flowers dominate the market. Some flowers that were imported in the past are now being cultivated in different districts within the country. The flower production areas are either near the capital Dhaka or near the Indian border.

Table 2 presents information about the extent of pesticide use, which was mainly obtained from a flower producer in Mirpur, Dhaka. Many pesticide products containing cypermethrin are classified as Restricted Use Pesticides (RUP) by the EPA because of its toxicity to fish. Restricted Use Pesticides may be purchased and used only by certified applicators. Cypermethrin is categorized as Class II or moderately toxic. Some formulations belong to Class III or slightly toxic. Depending on the particular formulation, the product label of pesticides containing cypermethrin may indicate the word WARNING or CAUTION.

Table 3 shows that seeds for the more popular flowers available in the shops are imported from the Netherlands, India, Singapore, and Thailand. These are all hybrid varieties.

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Table 1: Kinds of Flowers Grown in and Imported into Bangladesh

No. Name of Flower Place Grown in Bangladesh Place Imported from (Country)

1 Rose Savar, Manikganj, Gazipur, Jessore, Chuadanga, Benapole, Singair

India

2 Tube Rose Savar, Manikganj, Gazipur, Jessore, Chuadanga, Benapole, Singair

India

3 Chrysanthemum India

4 Gladiolus India

5 Arabian Jasmine Savar, Manikganj India

6 Marigold Savar, Manikganj, Gazipur, Jessore, Chuadanga, Benapole, Singair

India

7 Orchid Thailand, Singapore

8 Snowball Thailand, Singapore, India

9 Askar

10 Gipsy

11 Sunflower Different Districts (Specially Tangail)]

12 Dahlia Different Districts

13 Cosmos Different Districts

14 Marinda Different Districts

15 Papa Different Districts

16 Linkon Different Districts

17 China Rose

Table 2: Pesticide Use in Flower Production

No. Company Pesticide Brand Pesticide Active Ingredient and Use Use of Land* Dosage of Pesticide

1 (BASF) Basathrin Cypermethrin (I) 5 Decimal 10 mg/10 liters

2 (SAM) Velafen 5 Decimal 15 mg/10 liters

3 (BASF) Perfqthin 5 Decimal 35-40 mg/10 liters

4 (SAM) (Biolenfa) 5 Decimal 3-5 mg/10 liters

5 (SAM) (Agrowatt) 5 Decimal 15 mg/10 liters

6 (BASF) Calixin Tridemorph (F) 5 Decimal 5 mg/10 liters

7 (SAM) Peak 5 Decimal 10 mg/10 liters

8 (SAM) Polyram DF 5 Decimal 40 g/10 liters

9 (SAM) Saktiman 5 Decimal 15 mg/10 liters

10 (Aventis) Macuprax Mancozeb (F) 5 Decimal 40 mg/10 liters

11 (Aventis) Regent Fipronil (I) 5 Decimal 5-10 mg/10 liters

12 (Aventis) Sevin Carbaryl (I) 5 Decimal 25 mg/10 liters

13 (Alfa Agro Ltd. Bangladesh)

Chlorpyriphos Chlorpyriphos (I) 5 Decimal 15-20 mg/10 liters


(Bistersoit) 5 Decimal 25-30 mg/10 liters


Biesteren 1 Bigha (= 6771.41 m2)

1000 g/100 liters

* 1 decimal = 1/100 acre

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Table 3: Sources of Flower Seeds

No. Flower Seeds Origin

Country Company

1 Gladiolus Syngenta

2 (Rose, Tube Rose, Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Orchid

India, Thailand, Singapore, Bangkok

Syngenta

2.2 Case Study Proper

2.2.1 Selection of Study AreasInformation collected from different sources (retailers, National Plant Foundation, newspapers) revealed that flowers are grown on a commercial basis mainly in the areas of Savar in Dhaka and many villages throughout Jhenaidah and Jessore districts (Table 4). The villages of Shampur, Sirajtek, Mostapara, Nordamoja and Batalia in Savar were selected for collecting information on rose production. In Jessore, Godkhali was selected. The villages of Padmapukur and Sejia in Jhenaidah were selected for collecting information on rajnigandha cultivation.

Table 4: Area Selected for the Interviews of Farmers

No. District Distance from Dhaka Names of Villages

1 Savar 30 kms Shampur, Sirajtek, Moustapara, Nordapoja, and Batalia

2 Jessore I285 kms Godkhali

3 Jhenaidah 250 kms Padmapukur and Sejia

2.2.2 Data Collection

Information was collected by means of interviews. In most of the villages the flower farmers sat with the research team. Information on flower cultivation was easy to obtain, but difficult for pesticide use because most farmers could not specify the names of the products even though they were using them regularly. It was also difficult for farmers to properly determine their income and expenditures.

3 Respondents’ Profile3.1 Number of Respondents

The farmer respondents were carefully selected and interviewed using a research questionnaire. The interviews were also used to collect material for case studies. Table 5 summarizes the number of farmer respondents or the sample size of the study, in selected areas. More than half of the respondents are from Jessore and about 8.33 percent from the neighboring Jhenaidah. The rest are from Savar.

Table 5: Number of Farmer Respondents in Selected Areas

Areas Farmers Total

Savar 17 17

Jessore 27 27

Jhenaidah 4 4

Total 28 28

3.2 Age Profile

In terms of age characteristics, majority (73 percent) of the interviewed flower growers are young or below the age of 40 years (Table 6). This indicates that floriculture is a relatively new ‘business” and that it is mostly the young generation of farmers who are attracted to growing these new cash crop.

Table 6: Age Profile of Farmer Respondents

Age Savar Jessore Jhenaidah Total

< 15 Years

16-25 Years 2 7 9

26-40 Years 13 11 2 26

41-50 Years 2 4 1 7

50 + 5 1 6

Total 17 27 4 48

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3.3 Educational Background

Table 7 reveals that about 52 percent of the respondents have attained either primary or even secondary education. Although some of the farmers were without school experience, overall educational attainment of respondents shows that farmers with school experience are interested in flower growing. The concept of flower growing being industrial rather than agricultural production most likely explains why engaging in it is attractive for schooled farmers.

Table 7: Educational Achievement of Respondents

Education Savar Jessore Jhenaidah Total

Non-schooled

4 8 1 13

Up to Primary

6 7 13

Secondary 2 9 1 12

S.S.C 2 1 3

H.S.C 1 1

Graduate + 2 2

N/A 3 1 4

Total 17 27 4 48

Sher Ali Shardar is the longest flower-growing farmer in the district of Jessore. He started growing flowers in 1983. He started cultivating tube rose as a hobby in his nursery by getting seeds from neighbouring India. He decided to move into large-scale cultivation after he observed the tube rose flowers growing well and that the market was good. He realised that the weather in Jessore and Calcutta, India where farmers were cultivating it successfully was the same and decided to invest in the growing market. Upon the advice of his friend Nazrul Islam, who provided him information on the flower market and prices, he started cultivating different kinds of flowers. Later he encouraged other farmers to cultivate flowers and gave them seeds for free.

Another grower was a former gardener in the Botanical Garden in Dhaka. It was through his initiative that the rose cultivation started in the Savar area. Jamshed Ali has been growing rose and gladiolus in the last 14 years, since the early nineties. He is known as the first gladiolus grower in the area. At 33 years old and with secondary level education, he is a businessman and now flower cultivation is his main business. He grows roses in four acres of land and gladiolus in ten acres of land. He is the President of the Flower Growers’ Association of Sirajtek in Savar. He is considered the most powerful grower and controls the entire flower production industry in the area.

3.4 Income Levels

The education levels match the findings on the socio-economic status. Most flower growers belong to the upper strata of social class in the rural areas (Table 8). Out of 48, only 4 belonged to the poor and lower middle class. The rest (75 percent) belonged to the middle income group.

Table 8: Socio-economic Status of the Farmer Respondents

SES Savar Jessore Jhenaidah Total

Very Poor 0

Poor 3 3

Lower Middle

1 1

Middle 9 23 4 36

Rich 1 1 2

N/A 6 6

Total 17 27 4 48

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3.5 Duration of Engagement in Flower Cultivation by Respondents

More than half of the farmers who were interviewed had been growing flowers in the last five years (Table 9). The major shift from food production to flower production was made because it was a “profitable” venture. The rest started over ten years ago.

Table 9: Duration of Engagement in Flower Growing in Study Areas

Years Savar Jessore Jhenaidah Total

< 1 Years 0

1-5 Years 10 14 1 25

6-10 Years 6 8 2 16

11 + 1 5 1 7

Total 17 27 4 48

4 Findings

4.1 Kinds of Flowers Grown

Each area specializes in growing certain kinds of flowers as shown in Table 10. Since the flowers are mostly sold in the Dhaka city, the distance to the city and the transportation system play a role in determining the kinds of flowers that are grown. Savar is the place closest to Dhaka where flowers are grown on a commercial basis.

In the Savar region, roses were initially grown after a farmer had brought in a rose cutting. Roses, which are very sensitive and easily wear out, are produced in the region because it is near to Dhaka. The proximity makes transporting more cost-effective. While other flowers like gladiolus are grown in the area, there are no particular reasons for it.

Jessore is very close to Calcutta, India where a wider variety of flowers are cultivated. This gave farmers in and around Jessore the idea to start cultivating flowers as they realised the huge market for flowers in

Bangladesh. Their reasons for growing flowers include high profits and easy access to Dhaka as well as other markets through a series of middlemen who buy the flowers in bulk and transport them.

In Jhenaidah, farmers mainly produce marigold, tube rose and vutta because these flowers are strong and last longer. The district is very remote and transportation is a problem. The farmers could produce other flowers like roses, but they do not because these require high input costs and special transportation facilities.

Table 10: Kinds of Flowers Grown in Survey Areas

Sample Areas Kinds of Flowers Total

(kinds)

Savar Rose, Gladiolus 2

Jessore Rose, Gladiolus, Colour Gladiolus, Tube Rose, Marigold, Vutta, Kamini, Zaogach

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Jhenaidah Tube Rose, Vutta, Marigold 3

4.2 Method of Cultivation: Source of Seeds/Cuttings

Table 11 presents the different cultivation methods generally used by farmers in the study areas. There is an initial expense involved when flower growers buy planting materials from the flower agents in the market. Once they start growing the flowers they save cuttings, tubers or rootstocks, etc., or get them from neighbouring farmers for the next planting.

Hybrid flowers seedlings mainly came from India and Holland via Thailand although others were brought in by people who travel abroad.

The international flower market has a high demand for roses, gladiolus and gerbera. Gerbera is in trial production in Tangail by a single farmer named Mahbubul Alam (Shanu Mia).

Owner in his gladiolusfield, Jessore Father and son picking marigold flowers, Jessore Farmer cutting roses

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Table 11: Methods of Growing

Flowers Method Duration of Cultivation

Rose Cutting 90 days for each period of cultivation, can keep the same plant for eight years

Season: From November to March

During other times there are flowers but in lower quantity and qualityPesticide is used 45 days after planting the cutting

Rajnigandha (Polianthes tuberose)

Root Stock 90 days for cultivation, the plant is taken out after each period of cultivation


During other times there are flowers but in lower quantity and quality

Vutta Seed 90 days for cultivation



During soil preparation urea and organic fertilizer are used, pesticide is sprayed after leaves sprout and also on the flowers

Gladiolus Rhizome 90 days for cultivation



Fertiliser is used during soil preparation and after leaves sprout, pesticide is sprayed at 45 days

Marigold Seed 90 days for cultivation



After the flower sprouts, pesticide is sprayed every other day, a higher quantity of pesticide is used when it is foggy or misty

Zaogach Cutting No particular season, each plant can be kept for two years

Kamini Cutting No particular season, each plant can be kept for two years

4.3 Pesticide Use

Farmers producing flowers use huge amounts of chemical pesticides and do not really bother about the harm these pesticides may cause to the human health and the environment. Flower producers do not realize that poor land preparation and non-usage of proper organic fertilizers bring about problems that cause them to use pesticides excessively. In BARI, because the soil is prepared properly pesticides is not used much. Farmers must be made aware of the relation between proper soil preparation and reduced pesticide use. However,

since farmers in Bangladesh started producing flowers only by seeing other countries like India, these issues are not dealt with or recognized.

The names of the pesticides used by farmers included in Table 12 can be found in the Pesticide Registration List of the Government of Bangladesh. Many other pesticides being used are not found in any list. According to local people, these are smuggled into Bangladesh from India. Table 13 reveals the names of suppliers of pesticides used in floriculture that are landed in Dhaka.

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Government Initiative: BARI and Floriculture

The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute officially started in 1996 but the Floriculture Department became operational only in 1998. The Floriculture Division was created to earn foreign revenue and create business opportunities as Bangladesh is home to a vast array of orchids that fetch a high price in the international market. Recently, the research project has progressed but has kept its primary objective.

The various types of research that are conducted on flowers include how to cultivate certain flowers beyond their regular season and how productivity can be increased. Research also includes collecting relevant data on the environment required by flowers, how to prepare the soil, what types of diseases may be encountered and how to manage them, etc.

The number of farmers going into flower cultivation is increasing as other agricultural products continue to become non-profitable. Cultivation of flowers requires much less labour and costs making it more profitable. A single rajnigandha flower sells for Tk. 5 and a rose sells for Tk. 10.

More hybrid roses instead of the local variety can be found in the market for various reasons. The local variety has inconsistent colour, the petals fall quickly and the flower is very small. The hybrid rose is bigger, is consistent in colour and the petals do not completely sprout. These characteristics of the hybrid variety make it more in demand and the farmers, therefore, prefer cultivating it.

Chemical fertilizer and pesticide in right amounts is necessary in cultivating hybrid flowers. If more is used than the recommended quantity of fertilizer or pesticide then more harm is done than good. According to BARI, farmers in Savar use chemical fertilizer and pesticides excessively. Soil preparation is very important in cultivating flowers. Poor land preparation does not bring about good production but problems that chemicals can not solve.

The BARI Floriculture Division has acquired many varieties of flowers including 140 hybrid roses and 215 orchids out of which 60 varieties are gladiolus. The gladiolus varieties were acquired from India and Holland. Nine varieties of anthurium and ten other varieties of gerbera flowers were acquired from Holland. The cultivation of gerbera flower varieties has not been approved by the technical committee and is in a trial state at the moment.

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Table 12: Pesticide Use Reported by Farmers

Brand Name of Pesticide Company Active Ingredient Exporting Country Type of Use

Regent BASF Fipronil Insecticide

Thiovit 80 WP Syngenta Micronised wettable sulphur

Switzerland/ France/ Germany

Ascaricide

Ridomil MZ 72 Syngenta Metalexyl + Mancozeb

Holland/ Switzerland Fungicide and Stored Grain Pesticide

Tafgor 40 EC Dimethoate (OP) USA Insecticide

Dithane M-45 Dow Mancozeb USA/ Brazil

Basathrin 10 EC Cypermethrin USA Insecticide

Fyfanon 57 EC Cheminova Malathion (OP) Denmark Insecticide

Ethion 46.5 EC Ethion (OP) USA Ascaricide

Hilthion 57 EC Hindustan Insecticides Limited (govt. enterprise)

Malathion (OP) India Insecticide

Spraying of pesticides on roses, Savar

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4.5 Application of pesticides

Flower growers report that there are no pesticides particularly prepared for flowers. The pesticides used in vegetable and rice production are the same ones used for flowers. However, they are used with a higher dosage than for vegetables. The following section deals with pesticide use in flower production and pesticides and fertilizers are applied (Table 15), by kind of flower.

Marigold: In the primary stage of cultivation, a pesticide named Regent (Fipronil) is used by the farmers. The pesticide is sprayed over the small plant. The preparation of the pesticide is also disturbing. The farmer, sitting in the field, first mixes the pesticide in powder form with water into a milky substance after which another chemical from a little bottle is added.

The entire preparation of the pesticide is done by the farmer with bare hands and without other protective clothing exposing him to the chemical both through the skin and by inhalation. The mixture is sprayed on the small plants. Men and children involved in picking the flowers are also exposed to the pesticides.

Rose: Pesticides and fertilizers are used extensively at different stages of cultivation. Even children apply chemical fertilizer with their bare hands. Farmers spray chemical pesticides without any protection.

Gladiolus: Fertilizer is applied to gladiolus in a similar manner to that of roses. Male farmers use their bare hands to apply fertilizer in the fields where the flowers are being cultivated.

According to farmers in Jessore, pesticides do not kill pests. For example, pesticide is applied when the marigold plant starts to flower. When the pesticide is sprayed, the pests go inside the flowers and come out again when the sun is hot and the smell of pesticide is already gone.

Table 13: Pesticides and Suppliers

Name of Pesticide Name of Supplier

Basathrin BASF

Velafen SAM Agro-Chemicals

Perfqthin BASF

Biolinfa SAM Agro-Chemicals

Agrowet SAM Agro-Chemicals

Calixin BASF

Peak SAM Agro-Chemicals

Polyram SAM Agro-Chemicals

Shoktiman SAM Agro-Chemicals

Macuprax Aventis

Regent Aventis

Sevin Aventis

Chlorpyrifos Alfa Agro Ltd. Bangladesh

Bistarsoyet Alfa Agro Ltd. Bangladesh

Biesterin Alfa Agro Ltd. Bangladesh

4.4 Source of Pesticides

Most farmers purchase pesticides directly from shops and a few buy from dealers or agents (Table 14). Pesticide shops play the role of the agents. Flower growers go to the market and ask for pesticides to use on the flowers they are growing. They have no idea about which product is good or bad. They depend on the sellers for suggestion. Farmers simply tell the sellers whether they need it for insect pest or weed control.

Table 14: Sources of Pesticides of Farmers

Source Savar Jessore Jhenaidah

Shop 12 25 2

Dealer 4 2 2

N/A 1

Total 17 27 4

“The pesticides used in vegetable and rice production are the same ones used for flowers. However, they are used with a higher dosage than for vegetables.”

17

Table 15: Application of Fertilizer and Pesticides According to Kind of Flower

Flower Savar Jessore Jhenaidah

Rose

(90 days for total production)

Pesticide is used every other day for 45 days out of 90 days

Gladiolus


Fertilizer is applied during land preparation

Pesticide is sprayed on the leaves after 45 days. No pesticide is used once flowering starts


Pesticide is sprayed on the leaves after 45 days. No pesticide is used once flowering starts

Tube Rose



Pesticide is used only if the plant is attacked by pests

Vutta


Fertilizer (urea and potash) is applied during land preparation

Pesticide is used for defoliators but no pesticide is applied to the flowers

Marigold Fertilizer is applied during land preparation

When flowers start to appear, pesticide is used every other day specially during the winter

Application of pesticides to rose roots, Savar

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4.6 Knowledge of Effects of Pesticides

Flower farmers had vague ideas about the effects of pesticides on their health and environment. In Savar, the farmers felt that soil fertility is reduced due to the use of pesticides and fertilizers as indicated by decreasing yields and more compact soil. To mitigate the problem some farmers use cow dung or other manure. However, it seems that there may be some knowledge on the basis of which they take some precautionary measures as explained in Table 16.

Table 16: Knowledge of the Effects of Pesticides used in Floriculture

Knowledge Savar Jessore Jhenaidah Total

Do not know 3 6 4 13

Have some knowledge

1 2 3

Has effects on health

2 1 3

Has effects on environment

3 3

Total 9 9 4 22

Fertiliser being spread over gladiolus field in Jessore

4.7 Precautionary Measures Taken by Pesticide Users

The main form of precautionary measure is washing of hands after pesticide use. Some have mentioned taking a bath after using pesticides. The use of protective covering for the hands and mouth while preparing or using pesticides was not observed as an important precautionary measure by any of the farmers (Table 17).

Table 17: Precautionary Measures During and After Pesticide Use

Measures Savar Jessore Jhenaidah Total

Wash hands 7 21 1 29

Cover hands and mouth

Take bath 10 6 3 19

Others

N/A

Total 17 27 4 48

4.8 Effects on Labourers and Farmer’s Health

Very few farmers associate pesticide use with ill health effects (Table 18). In Savar, one farmer said that he

19

stands towards the wind when he sprays pesticides so that he does not inhale the gas coming out of the spraying machine. It has to be taken into account that pesticide spraying is often done by labourers.

Table 18: Perception of Effects on the Health of Farmers and Labours

Effects Savar Jessore Jhenaidah Total

No effects 14 18 3 35

Some effects 3 9 1 13

Not know

Total 17 27 4 48

4.9 Use of Water

In Savar, a vast amount of roses are grown which requires the use of plenty of water. Water is brought to the rose fields by pumping it from nearby ponds. After cutting the flowers a lot of water is needed to keep the flowers fresh.

In Jessore, various flowers like vutta, marigold and gladiolus do not require the use of much irrigation for cultivation. However, after the flowers are picked, a significant quantity of water is required to keep the flowers fresh.

In Jhenaidah, water is pumped from ponds and lakes to the fields where the flowers are grown.In Dhaka, flower shops use a lot of water throughout the day to preserve the flowers and keep them fresh.

4.10 Women’s Involvement

The common notion is that women are not involved in any aspect of floriculture. However, the survey

revealed that women are involved in different stages of flower cultivation as well as in the marketing aspect. For example, the women are involved in preparing marigold flowers for sale in the markets by tying the flowers together in the house. Women, children and men are involved in collecting rose flowers that are carefully stacked and transported to Dhaka via bus. Gladiolus flowers are gathered and collected by both the men and women in the families. These flowers are stacked together and transported to Dhaka where they are sold in wholesale markets and finally end up in the retail flower shops.

Women in the flower business in Dhaka sell flowers by the road side. The women belong to the lower middle class and selling flowers is a family business that includes all family members including children. Small girls work in the flower shops to make garlands.

Men play a significant role in flower production but women participate in preparing flowers for the market, selling, delivering, etc.

4.11 Profits from Flowers

Farmers have engaged in floriculture because they think it is highly profitable. Majority of the respondents consider the potential for huge profits more important than the negative effects on health and environment that may arise from engaging in the trade.

Table 19: Perception of Profits from Floriculture

Effects Savar Jessore Jhenaidah Total

Huge Profit 17 26 3 46

Less Profit 1 1

Cost & Profit 1 1

N/A

Total 17 27 4 48

“Pesticides and fertilizers are used extensively at different stages of cultivation. Even children apply chemical fertilizer with their bare hands. Farmers spray chemical pesticides without any protection.”

20

The Midnight Flower Market in Dhaka

At the main flower market in Shabagh, Dhaka the buses and trucks start to arrive at midnight carrying flowers from Jessore, Jhenaidah, Chuadanga, and from Benapole (bringing flowers from India). The flowers from Savar, particularly roses, come between 4:00 to 4:30 a.m. Wholesalers receive the flowers from the buses and trucks. Retail sellers start buying from the wholesalers from 4:30 a.m. By 6:30 to 7:00 a.m. all the flower shops are ready to sell to customers

Roses brought in from Savar into Dhaka and unloaded Rajnigandha, vutta, gladiolus flowers being brought into Dhaka

The local traders taking the flowers to their markets Rajnigandha, vutta, gladiolus brought in from the different districts in Dhaka

4.12 Marketing of Flowers

4.12.1 From Farmers to the Wholesale and Retail Market

Transporting flowers to Dhaka City from the three study areas goes as follows:

Jessore:• In Jessore region, 285 kms from Dhaka and near the Indian border, farmers gather every morning in a huge market in the village of Godkhali to sell their flowers. The farmers bring the flowers to the market by means of bicycles or vans where middle-men from Dhaka buy them at wholesale prices. The middlemen transport the flowers by bus to Dhaka where they arrive at the main wholesale market in Shahbagh between midnight and four

o’clock in the morning. Here the middlemen set up the flowers for sale to retailers from Dhaka and other parts of the country.

Jhenaidah: • The area of Jhenaidah is a very remote place located 250 kms from the Capital. Hence, the farmers have to package the flowers themselves and send them to Dhaka by courier service to relatives or known contacts that collect the goods to sell in the wholesale market. In some cases, the flowers are directly sent to particular flower shops in Dhaka.

Savar:• The farmers in this region start cutting the flowers from three in the afternoon after which they are kept in water. In Savar, farmers have a committee that organizes a transport system through which

21

they can, with their flowers, travel to Dhaka which is about 30 kms away. The farmers sit in the wholesale market in Shahbagh area themselves. In special cases or occasions, the retailers directly order flowers in advance and arrange for these to be directly sent to the shops.

Observation was carried out on 12th April, a regular day in the flower business. There were five trucks of rose flowers from Savar, each containing about 20,000 pieces of roses arranged in bundles. Each bundle called “aati” contains about 300 flower-sticks. In Savar alone, everyday over 100,000 rose flowers are brought at a wholesale price of Tk.134,000 (USD 2,233). From Godkhali, Jessore over 70,000 pieces of gladiolus and vutta arrived in bundles called “bundil”. The bundles consist of 1,400 to 1,500 gladiolus and vutta sticks. The wholesale price is Tk.189,000. There were 480 ‘jhopas’ of marigold flowers in the market. Each “jhopa” contains 800 marigold flowers with a unit price of Tk.140 to 150. The total wholesale price was Tk.67,200. There were rajnigandha flowers from Chuadanga worth Tk. 67,500 and over 130kgs of jhaupata from Jessore sold at Tk.10 to 12 per kg.

Another observation was carried out on the 14th April morning, a special day because of the “Pahela Baishak” of the Bengali New Year 1411. There was more supply

Local market in Dhaka

in the market. For example, roses from Savar came in eight trucks or 160,000 flowers sold at Tk.40,000. From Godkhali Bazaar, Jessore the supply of gladiolus and vutta was 130 bundles or 182,000 flowers sold at Tk.510,000. There was 4,000 “jhopas” of marigold flowers sold at Tk.640,000. The rajnigandha came in 20 bundles or 33,000 flower sticks sold at Tk.95,700.

In Table 20, a comparison of the quantity of flowers delivered on a regular day and on a special day is seen.

Table 20: Increase in quantity of flowers delivered

Flowers Regular day

Special day

(Bengali New Year)

% increase

Rose 100,000 pieces

160,000 pieces

60%

Gladiolus/Vutta

70,000 pieces

182,000 pieces

160%

Marigold 48,000 pieces

400,000 pieces

733%

Rajnigandha 25,000 pieces

33,000 pieces

32%

22

A comparison of the prices of the flowers is shown in Table 21.

Table 21: Price increase in flowers

Flowers

Normal Days

(Price in Taka)

Special day

(Bengali New Year)

% increase

Rose Tk.134,000 Tk.240,000 79%

Gladiolus/Vutta

Tk. 189,000 Tk.510,000 169%

Marigold Tk. 67,200 Tk. 640,000 852%

Rajnigandha Tk. 67,500 Tk. 95,700 42%

In terms of both quantities and prices, the sale of flowers is significantly higher on special occasions, particularly on cultural events.

4.12.2 Flower Retail Sales in Dhaka

Flowers are sold in Dhaka either in shops or by “hawkers” on the road sides. The flower shops in Dhaka are located at key areas of the city like Shahbagh, Banani, Gulshan,

Katabon, etc. Hawkers, on the other hand, may be found on road sides near places like universities.

Flowers have to be cared for in the shops before they are sold. Their stems have to be cut and they have to be kept in water. Continuous removal of damaged flowers is necessary. Water also has to be sprayed on the flowers to keep them fresh. No pesticide is used to preserve flowers in the shops.

Some unsold flowers can still be used. Rose petals are soaked in water and together with other flower petals are used to make “Rose Water” for use in religious occasions and in the graveyards. Although the rose may not be fragrant, it is used to make the water holy. Other unsold flowers are put outside the shop to be taken away by garbage cleaners. Some of them are sold to the “agarbatti” (incense sticks) makers. Everyday at least 40% flowers remain unsold and damaged.

4.13 Use of Flowers

According to sellers in Dhaka, no public or private events can be held without flowers. People purchase flowers for decoration and to greet special guests on these occasions. Flowers are used from greeting a new

Marigold flowers used to celebrate Language Day in Dhaka

23

born baby to paying tribute to the dead. Flower sellers mentioned the following occasions where flowers are used: pre-wedding ceremony such as “gaye-halud”, wedding ceremony, wedding reception, birthday, wishing good health for the sick in the hospital, school programmes, official meetings, greeting political leaders, award giving ceremonies, TV programmes, national ceremonies like the Victory Day, 21st of February, Independence Day, New Year’s Day, religious holidays such as Eid, Puja, Christmas, etc. Thousands of flowers are sold on special occasions.

During the research period, Eid ul Fitr was celebrated. On the day before Eid, special road side shops were established to sell flowers. In one very important street, Shabag, where flowers are sold, 80 roadside shops were set up to sell flowers only for the occasion.

According to flower sellers, young people between the ages of 15 to 35 years are their customers. They purchase rose, tube rose, gladiolus etc. They prefer the commercially grown cut-flowers to the native ones although many of these are also sold in the markets. For example, the beli flower that women use for decorating the hair. Native flowers have better fragrance while cut-flowers have no fragrance. Yet their durability is attractive to urban customers.

A potato field beside the gladiolus field where chemicals are used, Jessore

The marigold flowers are used in large amounts during various national celebrations like the 21st of February, the Bengali New Year, Victory Day on 16th December, Independence Day on 25th March, etc.

5 DiscussionsAbout fifteen years ago, it was not possible to buy flowers like any other product from a shop. It was not possible to have a flower like rajnigandha or a rose without fragrance. Nowadays, many think it is not possible that flowers could be dangerous because it contains heavy doses of pesticides. Nowadays, there are only a few varieties of flowers and not the wide diversity according to different seasons of the year. Commercial cultivation has reduced diversity and increased monoculture of a few flowers that have the same shape and colour, and no fragrance.

In the past, flower production was never done on commercial basis. Cultivable land was not used for this and flower plants were only grown in the homestead for beautifying the house. But now, former vegetable fields are being used for flower cultivation because it brings quick returns to growers. However, in Savar, Jessore and Jhenaidah where flowers are grown on commercial

24

basis and where pesticides and fertilizers are used excessively, vegetables and sometimes rice and fruits are still grown in surrounding areas. Because flower cultivation requires high inputs of chemical pesticides and fertiliser, the soil is highly contaminated with these substances. To make matters worse, farmers who grow papayas in rose fields think that the chemicals used for the flower as colouring agent will give papayas a nice color. Therefore the fruit recommended by doctors for sick and weak people actually contains poison.

The government does not see that it is losing vegetable production and only sees the potential export earnings from floriculture. The shift from food to flower production is not likely to bring long-term positive results considering the health and environmental risks associated with flower production. Floriculture started as individual initiatives and is still running as a private sector business. There is absolutely no control over the use of seeds, pesticides (smuggled into the country) and fertilizers. More research is needed to estimate the losses in terms of food and in terms of the impact on health and environment.

ReferencesCut-flowers from Bangladesh: Export Promotion

Bureau n.d.Information collected from MD. Sonaullah Molla,

Principle Scientific Officer and Division Head Floriculture Division Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Gazipur – 1701, Bangladesh

25

Part I. The Flower Industry in China

important to note that average output per hectare consistently declined from a value of 124,400 RMB in 1998 to only 82,100 RMB in 2003 after going through a productivity leap in 1999 with an average output per hectare of 441,500 RMB. But, yearly sales values in 2003, even with lower productivity, were definitely higher with an amount of $4.3 billion (Table 1).

The expansion in the nineties led to faster development highlighted by a change in industry structure. Flower production became more diversified as it scaled up to commercial operations. Market systems became more organized and effective with the entry of more flower enterprises. In the provinces, flower enterprises covered the aspects of planting, processing, marketing, gardening facilities and gardening equipment engineering. Indicative of this trend was the magnitude of industry sales from 1998 to 2003 for different ornamentals like cut flowers and leaves, potted plants,

1 Present Situation

The development of the floriculture industry in China came a long way. Established in 1984 in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong, the industry grew steadily until the mid-nineties when a more dramatic expansion came with improved standard of living, rapid development of the tourism industry, and higher farm profits. In cut flower cultivation, for instance, the annual profit ranged from $18,750 to $65,625 per ha. compared to only $11,250 per ha. for vegetable cultivation. The top ten cut flower crops in China are rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, gladiolus, calla, gypsophila, anthurium, gerbera, lily and limonium. Chinese interest in flowers became increasingly more manifest. Provincial and city governments embraced flowers for their parks and public areas as the primary method of attracting tourists. Hence, the country experienced a rapid increase in flower production. However, while planting area continued to increase from 85,927 has. in 1998 to 430,115 has. in 2003, it is

Case Study: Chinaby Pesticide Eco-Alternatives Center (PEAC)

26

Table 2: Sales of Different Ornamentals in China, by Types, 1998-2003

Year Cut flowersand leaves Potted plants Ornamental

seedlings Turf Others

1998 165,644.56 274,607.13 469,880.92 40,901.22 122,488.95

1999 835,250.65 138,468.64 2,369,340.31 206,241.41 617,641.60

2000 241,510.44 525,407.79 622,992.56 54,407.07 137,292.94

2001 308,829.63 621,660.94 895,693.81 89,247.35 242,987.69

2002 480,293.00 796,940.00 1,255,456.70 106,948.60 300,278.00

2003 445,655.70 849,593.80 1,754,891.40 113,970.90 366,977.70

ornamental seedlings, turf, and others (Table 2). The supporting tables annexed to this section provide a more detailed yearly sample of the industry’s robust performance (Annexes 1, 2, and 3). The number of personnel engaged in the flower industry also increased rapidly (Table 3).

Table 1: Acreage and Sales of Ornamentals in China, 1998-2003

Year Planting area (ha)

Total sales (million RMB)

Average output

of per ha (RMB)

1998 85,927 10,735.22 124,400

1999 122,581 54,131.50 441.500

2000 147,518 15,816.00 107,200

2001 246,005 21,584.19 87,700

2002 334,453 29,399.16 87,900

2003 430,115 35,310.90 (US$4.3 billion)

82,100

Table 3: Structures and Personnel in Flower Production and Management, 1998-2003

Year Market Enterprise Large and medium-sized enterprise

Farm families Personnel Professional

technologists

1998 1,583 67,918 1,500 320,125 1,020,618

1999 2,066 21,000 1,500

2000 2,000 22,000

2001 2,052 32,019 3,343 694,683 1,953,111 59,552

2002 2,397 52,022 4,225 864,006 2,470,165 85,145

2003 2,185 60,244 5,073 954,660 2,934,064 97,267Note: Large and medium-sized enterprises have more than 3-ha. planting area or RMB 5 million sales per year.

Table 4: Flower Production Districts in China

Cut flower district Seedlings and foliage plants district Bonsai district Bulbs district

Yunnan, Beijing, Shanghai, Guandong, Sichuan, and Hebei

Jiangshu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Guangdong, Fujiang, and Hainan

Jiangshu, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujiang, and Sichuan

Sichuan, Yunnan, Shanghai, Liaoning, Sanxi, and Gansu

Over the years, there has been a marked improvement in the production and management of the flower industry. Production areas have been organized into districts according to crop specialization (Table 4) even as traditional modes of flower production are likewise supported e.g., peony in Luoyang, narcissi in Zhanzhou (Fujiang), calyx in Yanling (Henan), etc. Moreover, an emphasis on scientific research work is being actively promoted. There are presently about 200 flower institutes, and many colleges of agriculture and forestry have set up courses related to flower production. In marketing, coping with the production boom were distribution centres, which are strategically located. A product distribution system has also been put in place. In 2003, the total number of flower markets was 2,185. (Table 3) and flower enterprises had increased to 60,244. The markets and enterprises were involved in providing services or facilities for planting, processing, logistics, marketing, gardening facilities and gardening equipment engineering for both wholesale and retail channels.

27

Meanwhile, international exchange and cooperation also increased. After the China Flower Association (CFA) entered the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) in 1994, greater exchanges between China and member countries of AIPH took place. This development was observed especially after the 1999 Kunming EXPO and the annual international flower exhibition. The events provided opportunities for exchange and cooperation between China and other countries in the world and promoted flower production in the country. 2 Strengths

The industry’s foundation for further development rests on certain strengths that China is endowed with, namely: climate, land resources, labour, germplasm, and market resources. The country’s climate is generally conducive to the cultivation of a wide variety of flowers. As a big country, it is blessed with different climate types, namely: tropical, subtropical, and temperate. Different geographic conditions, including favourable rainfall distribution and varying agro-ecological systems also provide suitable environment for growing various flowers. Besides being one of the largest flower-growing countries in the world, China also boasts of different soil types suitable for planting flowers and abundance of wild flower as well as garden plant resources. Finally, the flower market in China has a large potential. Aggregate flower consumption is large although the average flower consumption for each person in China is low. In 1998, the output of fresh cut flowers was 2 billion branches for a total population of 1.2 billion or an average consumption of about 1.5 branches per person. China has a long history of “flower culture”. The history of loving flowers, planting flowers, enjoying flowers and cultivating flowers is one thousand years longer than in European countries. There is a flower culture committee led by the China Flower Association engaged in studying flower culture.

3 Areas for Improvement

Although the flower industry in China has developed very rapidly, it is also faced with many constraints and challenges, specifically in the areas of science and technology, market information system, and access to international markets. Increasing productivity levels require more scientific inputs and processes. There is a need for better scientific training system and to raise awareness on protection of rights. Meanwhile, the quality of flowers produced in the production centres is at times not in accordance with consumers’ demand. Aggravating this problem is the presence of a non-functional market information network to the detriment of many flower markets with marketing channels being blocked. This situation partly restrains the industry’s access to the international market. Table 5 shows that

although China is one of the largest flower-producing countries, its export is still low.

Table 5: Export of Fresh Cut Flowers

Export 1995 2001

Total export (billion Euro) 3.5 4.8

Percent distribution

Netherlands 59 59

Colombia 16 14

Kenya 2 4

Ecuador 2 4

Israel 6 4

Other countries 15 15

Total 100 100

4 Recommended Measures With favourable national and global development contributing to an accelerated development of the country’s flower industry, the Vice President of the China Flower Association emphasized at the 51st AIPH annual meeting that China should catch the opportunity and promote the development of a healthy flower industry. The following courses of action shall be pursued:

4.1 Modernization of the flower industry

This can be done through clear-cut definition of mid-term development targets, which include: a) the realization of desired scale of production through regional adjustments in terms of production and marketing strategies, b) use of new technologies and new varieties, c) set up a more efficient system in technology diffusion, d) operationalize the market distribution and information system.

4.2 Strengthening policy support for the flower industry

This can be achieved through adequate legislation and enforcement of a number of regulations and rules to protect the rights and interests of breeders as well as laws to protect resources.

4.3 Actively promoting the use of new and suitable varieties as well as diffusion of new technologies among growers

The introduction and breeding of new varieties and technologies shall be initially explored. Working towards diffusion and wider applications of new varieties and technologies then becomes an imperative. Meanwhile, management of support utility industries (e.g. packaging, storage, and transport of flowers) shall be strengthened.

28

Support was given by the Internal Trade Centre (ITC), which is the technical cooperation agency of UNCTAD and WTO “for operational, enterprise-oriented aspects of trade development”. The ITC developed and run a technical assistance programme for the Yunnan Flower Association from 2001 to 2003, which was funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). This programme involved the:

• developmentofanexportstrategyforcutflowersandasectoralstrategyforthefloriculture industry in the province;

• designandcreationofacollectively-ownedflowerauctionandlogisticscentre;• trainingof500techniciansandprovisionofon-the-spotadvice toassist local

farmers develop top-quality products;• facilitationof the introductionofmodern technology forflowergrowingand

post-harvest treatment;• improvement of support services — such as customs, quarantines, quality

inspection,coolingsystemsandairandrailtransportation—forthecut-flowerindustry; and

• establishmentofacoregroupofmodelfarmersandfirmsforcutflowersintheprovince.

The Yunnan Flower Association and ITC are still cooperating, for example, in order to find ways to overcome existing logistical limitations. “With no direct flight from Kunming to the international cut-flower distribution centres that would serve these new markets, guaranteeing the essential ’cooling chain‘ is a major problem to be addressed.”

4.4 Developing infrastructures

This involves operationalizing the market information network and distribution system in order to improve the import and export environment, thereby accelerating the development of the flower industry.

4.5 Strengthening international exchange and cooperation

International flower trade and cooperation will increase with the integration of international flower markets.

Partial statistics report that half of the country’s flower seedlings and seed-balls and about 70% of the machines used in floriculture are imported. The country will strengthen various forms of international exchange and cooperation and continue to explore new realms of the flower trade.

With the favourable atmosphere, the floriculture industry will certainly have a bright future. China will definitely be the center of production and consumption in the world flower industry.

29

Annexes

Annex 1: Production and Sales of Flowers in 2001

Type of Flower Planting Area (ha) Unit of Sales Sales Volume Total Sales

(RMB10,000)Export

($1,000)

Total 246,005.90 2,158,419.42 80,033.83

Cut flowers and leaves 13,062.86 10,000 branches 461,158.00 308,829.63 33,270.00

Including: fresh-cut flowers 11,340.58 10,000 branches 370,438.41 250,440.24 26,696.00

Fresh-cut leaves 1,150.25 10,000 branches 23,715.65 28,575.76 1,472.00

Dry flowers 572.02 10,000 branches 67,003.94 29,813.63 5,102.00

Potted plants including: 33,041.35 10,000 pots 104,701.68 621,660.94 15,039.76

Potted flowers 16,118.57 10,000 pots 69,627.82 325,507.05 1,703.40

Plant of ornamental foliage 11,590.81 10,000 pots 23,977.12 149,960.38 1,259.18

Bonsai 5,331.97 10,000 pots 11,096.74 146,193.51 8,644.99

Ornamental seedlings 116,406.56 10,000 branches 374,656.57 895,693.81 29,324.00

Edible and medicinal flowers 20,519.39 Kg 34,466,012.14 92,161.89 1,408.20

Industrial use flowers 21,828.04 Kg 21,298,837.60 64,851.85 0.00

Turf 27,272.50 M2 316,629.18 89,247.35 0.00

Flower seeds 3,937.75 Kg 95,107.40 6,640.13 268.87

Seedling flowers 7,089.52 10,000 branches 90,669.57 63,482.82 63.00

Bulbs 2,847.59 10,000 pieces 2,368.37 15,851.00 660.00

ReferencesData of Flower Industry in 2001, China Flowers and

Horticulture, 2002 (14): 4. Data of Flower Industry in 2002, China Flowers and

Horticulture, 2003 (17): 19. Data of Flower Industry in 2003, China Flowers and

Horticulture, 2004 (17): 5 The Flower Industry (data analysis from 1998 to 2001),

China Flowers and Horticulture, 2002 (12): 5-7. Wu Qingjun, The Flower Industry and its Development

Measures in China, Review of China Agricultural Science and Technology, 2002, Vol. 4(6): 35-39.

Zhang Qin, Feng Yongjun, etc. Current Status of Chinese Flower Industry and its Developmental Counter-measures, Journal of Agricultural University of Hebei, May 2003, Vol.26. Sup: 125-127.

Tang Kai-xue, Discussion on Several Development Strategies of Yunnan Flower Industry, Southwest China Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2005, Vol. 18(1): 92-98.

Leading Team of Development Planning for Yunnan Provincial Flower Industry, Development Planning for Yunnan Provincial Flower Industry (between 2003 and 2020), Dec. 2003

Zhao Jun-quan, Du Guo-zhen, etc. Study of the Flower Industry’s Present Condition and Development in Yunnan, Ecological Industry Watch, 2005: 86-94.

Ma Shu-ping, Present Development Condition and Strategy of Flower Industry in China, China Agricultural Information, 2003, 6:4-5.

Liang Li, Control of Flower Diseases and Pests, Yanbian University Press, 2002. 4.

30



(RMB 10,000)Export

($1,000)

Total 430,115.40 3,531,089.50 97,568.00



Fresh cut leaves 4,228.00 10,000 branches 67,553.20 25,725.80 3,283.40


Potted plant Including: 46,626.30 10,000 pots 355,071.50 849,593.80 34,530.40


Foliage plants 11,691.90 10,000 pots 64,167.20 158,396.90 7,077.70

Bonsai 9,737.40 10,000 pots 122,478.30 184,522.30 10,193.00

Ornamental seedlings 233,110.60 10,000 branches 772,189.50 1,754,891.40 14,600.00

Edible and medicinal flowers 51,325.40 Kg 134,017.60 450.00


Turf 26,083.20 M2 620,964.30 113,970.90 0

Seed flowers 2,464.80 Kg 220,384.10 14,336.40 801.00

Seedling flowers 9,415.20 10,000 branches 162,001.90 112,715.20 2,283.40

Bulbs 3,936.20 10,000 pieces 86,797.20 52,377.40 0



(RMB10,000)Export

($1,000)

Total 334,453.70 2,939,916.20 82,831.70



Fresh-cut leaves 2,199.00 10,000 branches 45,457.00 36,084.00 9,462.30


Potted plants including: 39,122.00 10,000 pots 158,632.40 796,940.00 31,552.10


Plant of ornamental foliage 10,547.50 10,000 pots 47,106.40 209,686.90 4,009.80

Bonsai 9,184.70 10,000 pots 14,187.20 206,864.00 12,865.70

Ornamental seedlings 163,766.20 10,000 branches 545,477.20 1,255,456.70 17,261.00

Edible and medicinal flowers 28,467.90 Kg 46,181,795.40 115,669.90 1,997.00


Turf 34,106.70 M2 329,770.60 106,948.60 0.00

Seed flowers 4,380.70 Kg 171,749.20 16,067.50 2,283.00

Seedling flowers 8,221.40 10,000 branches 61,528.90 79,487.70 277.10

Bulbs 2,684.60 10,000 pieces 21,659.70 14,344.20 68.00

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Part II. The Flower Industry in Yunnan Province

under the development of diversified products and under coordinated structural and market systems. Tables 1 to 5 show the remarkable extent and pace of improvement in the flower industry in terms of yearly increases in sales and in areas planted with flowers, specifically cut flowers. Yunnan has consistently ranked first in the whole country for the past nine years in terms of planting area and output of fresh cut flowers, which accounts for 22% and 26% of the total amount, respectively. The fresh cut flower products of Yunnan take up about 50% of the share in major consumer markets of China. About 80% of the fresh cut flowers produced in Yunnan are sold to large and middle-sized cities in the whole country. About 10% to 15% of the flower products are exported to Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong of China. Some products are even sold to Europe and Australia.

1 Present Situation 1.1 Development, Expansion and Great Profits

Yunnan has been the largest flower producer in China for ten consecutive years. In 2003, the province produced some three billion flowers and generated 4.2 billion Yuan or $506 million in output value and earned $30 million in foreign exchange from exports, according to the provincial association of flower enterprises. Its export, a record of 38.6 million flowers in the same year, accounted for 45 percent of the country’s total flower exports. In the last five years, local flower exports grew at a yearly average of 35 percent.

Local growers cultivate more than 20 kinds of flowers, including carnations, forget-me-not and lilies, and are mainly exported to Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Canada, and Holland. Yunnan’s geographic and topographic endowments create good conditions for the floral industry, which has been faring well

32

Table 1: Area Devoted to Floriculture, Yunnan Province, 1998-2003 (in ha.)

Types 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

TOTAL 2,146.40 3,402.20 5,671.10 6,262.40 7,864.70 10,600.00

Cut flowers 972.80 1,729.10 1,995.10 2,596.20 3,429.70 4933.00

Cut leaves 6.60 8.70 30.80 34.30 41.40 37.83

Dry flowers 6.70 5.00 39.10 242.60 254.30 238.20

Potted flowers 140.70 334.10 335.60 428.10 285.30 333.90

Ornamental foliage 126.60 184.30 122.80 125.40 41.20 60.20

Potted flowers

Bonsai 36.10 42.40 94.30 98.40 17.90 28.45

Ornamental seedlings 92.00 237.90 220.30 137.10 121.50 185.14

Flower seeds 384.7 71.9 92.8 78.9 60.2 57.84

Bulbous flowers 118.3 55.1 63 47.5 39.6 218.9

Flower seeds 38.7 56.3 772.7 80.2 14 45.53

Turf 70.1 423.3 477.1 1186.2 970.3 300.46

Medicinal flowers 73.3 164.9 89.8 523.9 564.3 588.9

Flowers for industrial use 80 89.2 1,338.4 683.7 2025 3572

Table 2: Area Devoted to Cut Flower Cultivation, Yunnan Province, 1998-2003 (in ha.)

Varieties 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Rose 90.70 266.70 501.60 730.5 748.7 1,210.64

Carnation 456.60 707.70 773.50 881.7 886.1 857.89

Gladiolus 26.10 34.80 69.20 32.4 36.9 31.87

Chrysanthemum 50.90 55.20 780 54.2 66.3 125.61

Lily 171.6 344 493.3

Flame ray gerbera 48.9 206.4 295.98

Lover grass, Limonium

Sinuatum, Elegant 245.3 344 493.3

Gypsophila

Others 431.6 640 1424.41

Table 3: Sales of Fresh Cut Flowers, Yunnan Province, 1998-2003

Fresh-cut flowers 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Rose

Sales volume (10,000 branches)Total sales (10,000 Yuan RMB)

6,474.00 3,418.60

21,934.00 5,756.40

42,236.80 11,971.80

62,170.80 43,519.60

62,510.90 43,690.90

102,973.1 48,205.93

Carnation

Sales volume (10,000 branches) Total sales (10,000 Yuan RMB)

42,608.00 14,444.00

86,464.60 10,151.40

53,381.10 11,971.80

61,721.10 22,836.80

61,799.30 22,870.60

99,469.4 14,584.51

Gladiolus

Sales volume (10,000 branches) Total sales (10,000 Yuan RMB)

853.20 343.00

1,061.30 414.30

25,390.80 693.10

1,688.90 540.50

1,746.20 566.60

457.47 309.65

Chrysanthemum

Sales volume (10,000 branches)Total sales (10,000 Yuan RMB)

2,196.20 789.50

2,051.30 486.60

3,770.50 895.60

3,114.70 1,806.50

3,210.40 1,846.60

3,603.64 1,550.21

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Table 4: Comparative Sales of Cut Flowers and Cut Leaves, China and Yunnan, 1998-2003 (in Yuan RMB million)

Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

China 165,644.56 835,250.65 241,510.44 308,829.63 480,293.00 445,655.70

Yunnan 46,134.00 21,105.90 34,766.20 101,263.80 67,633.10 79,469.94

Table 5: Flower Sales, Yunnan Province, 1998-2003

Sales for Different flowers 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Total Flower Sales(10,000 Yuan RMB)

58,147.60 39,650.20 51,900.20 135,692.40 83,456.60 109,251.50

Cut flowers

Sales volume (10,000)Total sales 10,000 Yuan RMB

80,383.0045,966.60

101,394.0020,956.00

107,967.2032,751.00

146,367.4083,429.70

204,866.4067,249.60

2,269,409.6078,714.64

Cut leaves


154.1087.40

462.9070.80

467.40738.10

20.203.00

865.20338.50

840.00295.90

Cut leaves


80.00 80.00

50.1079.10

266,155.501,277.10

18,195.0017,831.10

362.3045.00

100.00459.50

Potted flowers


266.90 1,875.10

319.10 3,581.20

245.20 5,300.50

4,479.10 19,938.00

457.80 2,470.30

1,828.20 10,424.00

Ornamental foliage


150.60 2,597.80

339.90 7,087.80

119.50 1,480.70

433.80 856.80

318.20 855.00

167.47 1,048.40

Bonsai


16.10 862.70

33.10 1,754.40

108.70 1,004.90

175.10 3,582.20

178.80 489.40

80.96 519.43

Ornamental seedlings


208.00 50.10

818.30 671.40

907.10 1,792.00

3,655.00 2,347.80

1,067.00 1,416.00

1,878.00 2,660.90

Seed and seedlings

Sales volume (10,000) Total sales 10,000 Yuan RMB

2,679.00 4,694.30

1,311.50 1,594.60

3,150.60 2,484.30

4,004.60 1,676.60

1,307.50 396.50

5,253.89 2,129.70

Bulbs

Sales volume (10,000 pieces)Total sales 10,000 Yuan RMB

678.40 1,086.40

139.70 187.30

1,307.10 1,058.90

2,844.10 597.00

268.30 470.00

5,959.50 5,660.96

Seeds

Sales volume (kg)Total sales 10,000 Yuan RMB

561.70 15.40

412.10 30.00

32,900.30 1,020.20

12,535.00 226.90

695.20 386.70

2,665.00 915.90

Turf

Sales volume (1,000) Total sales 10,000 Yuan RMB

356.3 648.7

1,008.4 3,477

17,304.2 3,759

4,363.1 2,443.3

37,121 6,764.1

3,414.76 2,874.6

Medicinal flowers

Sales volume (kg) Total sales 10,000 Yuan RMB

24,015 19.3

3,765 7.7

27,025.2 73

15,6485 1,378.7

211,216.8 2,333.5

3,005,200 1,898.52

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Increases in the number of personnel and other facilities of the flower industry over the same period likewise reflect this positive development (Tables 6 and 7). The organizations and personnel engaged in flower production and management have increased. The flower industry of the province consists of planting, processing, marketing, gardening facilities and gardening equipment engineering. The establishment and operation of Kunming International Flower Auction Market and Yunnan Flower Logistic Center have effectively improved trading and circulation, and has laid a good foundation for improving the marketing system based in the production area.

The socio-economic value of the industry is indicated by the employment opportunities it provides, especially for the rural surplus labour. Table 5 also shows the

Table 6: Structures and Personnel Support in Flower Production and Management, Yunnan Province, 1998-2003

Particulars 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Flower markets 38 69 32 35 35 42

Flower enterprises 191 291 337 313 365 390

Large and medium-sized enterprises

19 64 84 85 97 105

Number of flower farming families

7,466 13,287 13,808 14,000 20,462 25,065

Number of personnel engaged in flower production

159,556 26,569 37,304 59,494 66,339 89,117

Number of technologists 904 1,219 1,282 1,364 1,568 2979

Note: Large and medium-sized enterprises are those that have more than 3 ha or RMB Yuan 5 million total sales per year.

Table 7: Facilities of the Flower Industry, Yunnan Province, 1998-2003

Facilities 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Heating greenhouse

Cut flowers Potted plants

42.80 1.30

32.80 0.20

40.3 1.7

157.6 15.5

193.8 25.3

237 41.7

Imported greenhouse


35.10-

25.30-

31.7 0.8

9.9-

40.7-

14.04.0

Sunshine greenhouse


8.40 35.60

18.30 153.10

26.5 182.7

Plastic tunnel


944.2 9.9

1,076 20.7

1,789.9 25.5

3857 381.5

2,986.0 36.4

3,388.4

Overshadow tunnel


50.1 43.5

79.4 62.9

12.1 60.3

61.4 22.7

124.5 62.5

49.6 86.2

benefits from the flower industry in terms of increased income of farmers and GDP of Yunnan. Table 6 reflects that 89,117 people are engaged in flower industry. The technologies and facilities of the flower industry are also of potential economic value. The industry plays an important role in increasing social stability and incomes of people and improving living standards. The industry offers opportunities for professional growth of technical personnel. Flower trading contributes to the development of Yunnan. The people’s aesthetic sense, reflected in the traditional flower culture, is enhanced through breeding and opportunities to appreciate flowers. The fact that flowers make the surrounding look beautiful also represents an ecological value. However, excessive use of pesticides for flower growing may cause environmental and health problems.

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The socio-economic value of the industry is indicated by the employment opportunities it provides, especially for the rural surplus labour. Table 5 also shows the benefits from the flower industry in terms of increased income of farmers and GDP of Yunnan. Table 6 reflects that 89,117 people are engaged in flower industry. The technologies and facilities of the flower industry are also of potential economic value. The industry plays an important role in increasing social stability and incomes of people and improving living standards. The industry offers opportunities for professional growth of technical personnel. Flower trading contributes to the development of Yunnan. The people’s aesthetic sense, reflected in the traditional flower culture, is enhanced through breeding and opportunities to appreciate flowers. The fact that flowers make the surrounding look beautiful also represents an ecological value. However, excessive use of pesticides for flower growing may cause environmental and health problems.

1.2 Regional Production Centres

The following are the five flower-producing areas in Yunnan Province:

The Central Yunnan region including Kunming, Yuxi, •Qujing and Chuxiong mainly produces fresh-cut flowers and moderately develops potted flowers, bonsais, potted ornamental plants and temperate and subtropical nursery-grown afforestation plants.

The Northwest and Northeast Yunnan regions •including Lijiang, Diqing, Zhaotong and North Qujing produce and breed flowering bulbs such as tulip, lily, etc.

The West Yunnan region including Dali and Baoshan •produces flowers with distinct local characteristics such as orchid, azalea and camellia, etc.

The South Yunnan region including Xishuangbanna, •Simao, Yuanjiang, Xinping and Eshan focusses on the production of tropical flowers and foliage plants. It can also develop temperate fresh-cut flower production in winter and ornamental plants in some areas.

The Southeast Yunnan region including Honghe •and Wenshan focusses on foliage plants, bonsai and nursery-grown afforestation plants.

In addition, the following places meet basic requirements and have potentials to develop some flowers and plants: Kunming for dry flower materials, Luxi County for pyrethrum for industrial use, Zhanyi County and Jianshui County for pigment from marigold,

Honghe and Simao for medicinal Erigeron breviscapus and dendrobe, and Yuanjiang for jasmine for tea.

1.3 Major Pests and Diseases of Flowers

1.3.1 Pests and Corresponding Damages

Aphids• damage new leaves, buds, flowers and branches. They affect both the growth and quality of flowers.

Leafminers (• Liriomyza) also damage leaves, especially new ones.

Tiny red spider mites harm leaves and stems, •thereby also affecting both growth and quality of flowers.

White aleyrodid attack the leaves. •

Snails and slugs eat new leaves, new stems and •petioles. They can eat all the leaves of plants and cut down stems when they grow into large populations. Snails are usually found near pools and crocks while slugs are always found under flowerpots.

Scaled insects suck juice from leaves and branches, •turn leaves and branches into yellow, and affect flower quality. Scaled insects have waxy protective covering and are not easily controlled.

Leafhoppers damage new buds and leaves and •make them wither. Leafhoppers can severely affect quality of flowers.

Leaf beetles eat small roots and new leaves that •results in slow plant growth.

Cutworms are the most important turf pests. They •eat new buds and stems. The larvae pupate under the soil making control a little difficult.

1.3.2 Flower Diseases

Powdery mildew is very common. It infects stems, •leaves, pedicel and other plant parts. It can inhibit flower development causing flowers to lose their value.

Black rust and smut can severely affect quality of •flowers.

Viral diseases•

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2 Major Constraints and Challenges in Flower Industry Development

Although the flower industry in Yunnan province has developed very fast, it is also faced with a number of constraints and challenges.

It is not industrialized and is currently operating at a •small scale of production. There has been no move to transform it into a specialized, standardized and intensive production system for large-scale operations.

The industry lacks scientific and technological •standards and technological support systems. The flower farmers lack professional training.

The marketing system still needs a lot of •improvement. There is no common brand of marketing, and the trading cost is high because of slow market growth and there is a multiple competition.

The internal industrial structure is under developed. •The temperate fresh-cut flowers outshine other varieties. The breeding and production of tropical fresh-cut flowers and the cold and cool flowering bulb seed-balls are slow. Foliage plants make up only a small proportion of the total volume of the fresh-cut flowers. The deep processing of flower products and development of other support systems for the industry lag behind.

3 Strengths and Potentials

Yunnan’s flower industry enjoys broad development •prospects as a result of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone and China’s entry into the WTO. The industry is a major contributor with a total GDP of more than US$2,000 billion and a total trade volume of US$1,300 billion.

Rapid urbanization in China offers good •opportunities for the development of the flower industry, more so with the implementation of the West Development Strategy

Substantive government support at all levels •propels the flower industry in terms of production scale and profitability.

The ever-increasing consumers’ demand also •provides the driving force for the development of flower industry. The flower consumer market has been expanding rapidly. The international annual rate of increase in consumption is about 10% while the domestic flower consumption grows by over 16%.

The shift in flower production from developed •countries to developing countries with more superior climatic conditions, richer resources, and labour resources brings an important strategic opportunity for the development of Yunnan’s flower industry.

Yunnan’s natural endowments include a favourable •climate, land and human (labour) resources. Yunnan lies on a plateau with a low latitude and has seven different climate types. This provides the advantage of producing flowers year round. Most areas of Yunnan are of mild climate, sufficient sunshine, plentiful rainfall, and free from extremely harsh weather. The mild climate can decrease the cost of flower production. The per capita land and cultivable field of Yunnan are higher than the average of the whole country. The fields in basin areas that are suitable for planting flowers have different types of fertile soil and the cost for renting the land is cheap. On labour, in 2002, Yunnan had a labour force of 19.9 million in the rural areas with a surplus labour of over 7.5 million. In addition, the province has a long history of planting local special flowers and the workers bring with them long years of experience in planting flowers.

On germplasm resources, Yunnan possesses over •16,000 varieties of plants (including 2,500 varieties of flowers of high ornamental value belonging to 110 families and about 490 genera) due to its geographical location and various ecosystems.

In the area of market opportunities, international •markets demand mainly fresh-cut flowers. In 2001, the total sale of flowers in the world was Euro 40 billion of which Euro 30 billion was from fresh-cut flowers. The three major consumption centres are in Europe, USA and Japan and the per capita consumption shows an increasing trend. As long as Yunnan can produce off-season flowers and local flowers of high quality at low cost, the province will be able to make its way into the markets in Europe, USA, Japan and Australia. Hong Kong SAR and Singapore are not only consumer markets but also transfer ports for flower export. Although Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia are flower producers, Yunnan can carry out complementary trade with them due to factors such as weather and industrialized structure. Meanwhile, in the domestic market, China’s flower consumer market has the greatest potential in the world. At present, its flower consumption is shifting from group and holiday consumption to household consumption. It is estimated that the domestic flower consumption of China will increase by 30% in the next five years.

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4 Development Framework for Yunnan’s Flower Industry

Building Yunnan’s flower industry will be heavily anchored on its strengths and potentials leading to greater socio-economic well-being for flower growers, higher profitability for flower enterprises and contributing to Yunnan’s economic prosperity and social development. Guided by market demand, Yunnan’s flower industry will move towards optimum regional links, greater access and use of scientific and technological advancement, and promote equal emphasis on importation and innovation.

4.1 Development Targets

The goal of Yunnan’s flower industry is to build a superior flower industry with outstanding characteristics, complete functions, and efficient operations in 20 years. Seeking to contribute more to the economic growth of both the country in general and the province, in particular, it shall strive towards increasing farmers’ income and enhancing rural development. It shall build Yunnan into Asia’s largest fresh cut flower production and export base as well as sprout breeding and production base, and into one of the major fresh-cut flower production areas in the world. Yunnan is envisaged to become a modern flower trading centre that is leading in China, advanced in Asia, and acknowledged in the world.

In the short-term, the total area planted to flowers in Yunnan by 2007 shall be increased to 14,000 hectares. The resulting total output value of the industry shall likewise be pulled up to reach 7 billion Yuan RMB and account for about 12.1% of the country’s output. Based on the 2002 figure and a projected annual increase of 15.5%, the area planted for producing fresh cut flowers and leaves will be 8,000 hectares, yielding about 4.5 billion branches. With a projected average yearly increase of 22 percent, the sales volume of fresh cut flowers is expected to reach 3 billion Yuan RMB. The production value in unit will reach Yuan 375,000 per hectare, or an increase of 35% vis-à-vis 2002. The products will be sold mainly in the domestic market and the rate of export will reach about 20%, earning about US$50 million. Annually, the province will

produce 50 million seed-balls, 210 million sprouts, 30 million pots of potted flowers and potted ornamental plants, 30 million nursery-grown afforestation plants, and 10,000 tons of edible flowers, medicinal flowers and flowers for industrial use. The flower industry will provide employment opportunities for 540,000 people, involve relevant industries with a total output value of 1.2 billion Yuan RMB and improve the lives of 30,000 rural households. In order to realize these targets, the province shall develop systems for support services, including scientific and technological support, flower quality standard system, flower production and operation information network, marketing network, and a socialized system for the flower industry.

In the medium-term, by 2010, the area planted to flowers in Yunnan will be 18,000 hectares. The total output value of the flower industry is expected to reach 9 billion Yuan RMB, accounting for about 12.9% of the country’s total output with a projected average annual increase of 8.7%. The area planted for the production of fresh cut flowers and leaves is pegged at 10,000 hectares, yielding about 5.7 billion branches. The sales volume of fresh cut flowers is seen to reach to 4.5 billion Yuan RMB. The rate of export shall reach 30%, earning about US$100 million. The production value in unit will be 450,000 Yuan RMB with an increase rate of 20% compared with year 2007 and an export rate of 25%.

Annually, the province will produce 300 million seed balls, 450 million sprouts, and 15,000 tons of edible flowers, medicinal flowers, and flowers for industrial use. The flower industry will provide 500,000 employment posts, involve relevant industries with a total output value of 2 billion Yuan RMB, and promote a better life for 20,000 rural households. In order to attain these targets, the province will develop and fine-tune the scientific and technological support services, establish the flower industry information network and advance the information infrastructure, set up and fine-tune the network for material flow, allocate resources effectively. It will push for the development of a large-sized, intensive, and industrialized flower industry and enhance market competitiveness.

In the long-term, by 2020, the total output value of the flower industry of the province will reach over

Table 8: Development Targets for the Yunnan Flower Industry

Year Planting Area (ha)

Value (million Yuan RMB)

Export (million $)

Planting Area of cut flowers (ha)

Yield of Cut Flowers

(million branches)

Value of Cut Flowers (million

Yuan RMB)

2003 9,894 34,200 30 4,933 3,000 1,360

2007 14,000 7,000 50 8,000 4,500 3,000

2010 18,000 9,000 100 10,000 5,700 4,500

2020 20,000 700

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20 billion Yuan RMB, accounting for 20% of the total amount for the country. Yunnan, with an export rate of 40%, will become the domestic advanced fresh cut flower production and export base and the largest in Asia. The rate of export will reach 50% and a projected US$700 million dollars will be earned. The output and quality of the seed-balls and sprouts produced in Yunnan rank first in Asia. The output value from edible flowers, medicinal flowers, flowers for industrial use, and their processed products will reach 8 billion Yuan RMB. In order to achieve these targets, the province will set up a modern flower trade centre, a price information centre and a strong flower engineering technological research and development centre. It will establish several flower industry groups; mechanized and standardized flower production; operationalise an industrial information network; safe and convenient storage and transportation; specialized social service; and modernized marketing measures. The flower industry of the province will be at par with other advanced countries.

Conscious about the need for environment protection for a more sustainable flower industry, the province shall pursue eco-friendly ideas and actively prevent the destruction of wild flower resources. By 2020, production activities shall use environment friendly media, popularize the use of biological fertilizers, biological pesticides, and organic fertilizers, minimal if not elimination of fertilizers and pesticides use, reduce energy consumption and adopt clean energy measures, and pay attention to treatment and recycling of irrigation water and detoxifying flower industry wastes. All products for export will be granted MPS Product Quality Certification.

4.2 Development Priorities

In order to develop the industry, Yunnan will prioritize use and enhancement of scientific and technological innovations for major fresh-cut flowers. It will make great efforts to develop flower seed production, establish and perfect the breeding system for flower seed balls at the national level. It will focus on developing markets and establishing a marketing network all over China. Yunnan will establish a logistics system that meets international standards to promote greater production. Priorities in scientific and technological research and development shall include introduction and breeding of new varieties; introduction and research of breeding technologies for flowering bulb seed balls; protection, development, and utilization of wild flower resources; introduction and research of technologies on flower post-harvest processing, preservation, storage, package and transport; introduction and research on key technologies for flower production; and introduction and research on flower greenhouse facilities, equipment, and base material production

technologies. Implementation of development projects shall focus on the construction of the Yunnan Flower Technological Engineering Research and Development Centre, turning it into a leading unit in flower breeding and industrialized flower production; building a model export base in central Yunnan province for high quality lily (1,000 hectares), monthly rose (2,000 hectares), and carnation (3,000 hectares); construction of a domestic breeding and production base for commercial flowering bulb seed-balls with a building scale of 650 hectares and an annual output of 100 million flower bulbs of various varieties; construction of Yunnan flower logistics network; construction of Yunnan flower information network system; development of industrialized production of environment friendly media; construction of modern flower production facilities and equipment; construction of the Yunnan Flower Culture Centre; construction of production base for edible flowers, medicinal flowers, and flowers for industrial use; and refined and deep processing facilities.

5 Measures to Develop Yunnan’s Flower Industry

5.1 Strengthen regulations and foundations for enhancing development of the flower industry.

Study, stipulate, and enforce industrial policies; strengthen efforts in poverty alleviation; and increase construction of basic facilities for public good and scientific and technological investment; fine-tune policy and regulation systems; establish and implement early warning mechanisms for industries; operationalize systems and institutions to support and protect the flower industry; strengthen publicity to increase consumption; organize legislation system and strengthen industrial supervision and execution of the law to protect the benefits of breeders and others legally involved in the industry; strengthen macro-regulation and control; and promote sustainable and healthy development of the flower industry.

5.2 Utilize scientific and technological innovation and upgrade scientific and technological standards of the flower industry.

Set up and utilize scientific and technological research, development, popularization and service system; utilize enterprises to promote integration of production with academic research and encourage them to set up their own scientific and technological research and development arms; without jeopardizing the interests of their own organizations, encourage personnel from colleges, universities, and scientific research institutes to share scientific and technological advances and innovation and in turn receive proceeds from enterprises; strengthen scientific and technological

39

integration of the flower industry; and strengthen and apply research on industrial and locally developed technologies. In accordance with the trend of industrial technologies, prepare a plan to develop the flower industry of the province; and establish and implement mechanisms to encourage and protect intellectual property rights.5.3 Strengthen marketing measures and promote the entry of Yunnan’s flowers into world markets.

Design a marketing plan for the flower industry, create and support leading and specialized enterprises and intermediary service institutions and implement multi-level and multi-channel marketing strategies; strengthen the market network; support the construction of “green passage” for flower marketing; and improve trading modes and upgrade trading standard.

5.4 Expand investments and operationalize investing and financing channels.

Increase the proportion of financial investment; improve the investment environment and absorb various social funds; build cooperative relationship between banks and enterprises and increase credit investment; explore financing modes of the market; implement financial measures resulting from policies; and provide export of flowers with credit insurance and credit support.

5.5 Operationalize services and the socialized service system.

In addition to scientific and technological support system and marketing network system, put emphasis on operationalizing an organizational management system; link enterprises with the government and market through the Provincial Flower Industry Association; cultivate intermediary organizations, e.g., the specialized flower economic organization, with flower farmers as the development subject and beneficiary; operationalize services of intermediary organizations to strengthen their subject and beneficiary, i.e., flower farmers; operationalize functions of intermediary organizations to strengthen trade service and trade self-discipline; standardize production and management systems; and operationalize an industrialized service system.

5.6 Regard expertise as an important factor and develop experts in science and technology, production, operation, and management.

Harmonize education resources; develop experts for flower enterprises in science and technology, operation and management; give more extensive and in-depth

training on production technologies to flower industry personnel and flower farmers; encourage domestic and foreign experts to start their careers in Yunnan; set up and implement mechanisms that encourage experts in various fields to share their abilities, encourage the stream of new talents, establish a pool of experts, and carry out consultations for decision-making.

5.7 Widen and strengthen international exchange and cooperation.

Continue the use of present international cooperation projects and undertake efforts to establish new projects; learn and use the experience of advanced countries in developing the flower industry; track and import new varieties, advanced technologies and management experience, and assimilate and use these to innovate; seize the opportunity to increase foreign investments and enterprises in flower production; participate actively in various international flower exhibitions and forums and publicize Yunnan’s flower products and enterprises; encourage qualified enterprises to set up entities and enter markets in foreign countries; strengthen expertise and send relevant personnel to visit and study in foreign countries.

References

Tang Kai-xue, Discussion on Several Development Strategies of Yunnan Flower Industry, Southwest China Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2005, Vol. 18(1): 92-98.

Leading Team of Development Planning for Yunnan Provincial Flower Industry, Development Planning for Yunnan Provincial Flower Industry (between 2003 and 2020), Dec. 2003.

Zhao Jun-quan, Du Guo-zhen, etc. The Study of Flower Industry’s Present Condition and Development in Yunnan, Ecological Industry Watch, 2005:86-94.

Data of Flower Industry in 2001, China Flowers and Horticulture, 2002 (14): 4.

Data of Flower Industry in 2002, China Flowers and Horticulture, 2003 (17): 19.

Data of flower industry in 2003, China flowers and Horticulture, 2004 (17): 5.

The Flower Industry from Data (data analysis from 1998 to 2001), China Flowers and Horticulture, 2002 (12): 5-7.

Liang Li, Control of Flower Diseases and Pests, Yanbian University Press, 2002.4.

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Annex 1: List of Major Flower Enterprises, Yunnan

1. The Center of Flower Technique and Engineer Co., Ltd. Yunnan - Established by Yunnan Management and Investment of Flower Industry, Co. Ltd., CAS, Botany Institute of

Kunming, Agricultural Academy of Yunnan, and Institute of vegetable and flower of CAAS. 2. Flower Institute of Yunnan Agricultural Academy 3. Institute of Economic Plants in Uplands of Yunnan Agricultural Academy - Located in Lijiang and was set up in 1994. - Focuses on studies of wild flowers and their breeding. - Engaged in study and production of seedlings and bulbs and can produce 50,000,000 seedlings and bulbs. 4. Kunming International Flower Auction Center, KIFA - Located in Dounan, Chenggong County. It auctions fresh-cut flowers and has built up relationships with

Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, France and Taiwan and Hong Kong of China. 5. Yunnan Yun Hua Flower Logistic Co., Ltd. - It focuses on flower transportation and flower post-harvest processing. It is an agency for auction and flower

import and export. 6. Yunnan Management of Flower Investment Co. Ltd. - In order to upgrade Yunnan’s flower industry, the Yunnan Flower Industry Union (on behalf of the Yunnan

provincial government) and Yunnan Branch of China Tobacco Company (on behalf of the tobacco companies) set up this limited company. It focuses on management of investments in the flower industry.

7. Yunnan Ying Mao Flower Industry Co. Ltd. - Belongs to the Yunnan Ying Mao Group, Co. Ltd. It produces high quality seedlings. 8. Yunnan Ge Shang Hua Flower Co. Ltd. 9. Yunnan Long Ge Lan Horticulture Co. Ltd. - Focuses on producing flowers, seedlings and bulbs. 10. Kunming Hai Yu Horticulture Co. Ltd. - Focuses on producing roses. 11. Yunan Qin Lan Horticulture Co. Ltd. 12. Xishuanbanna Hua Zhu Flower Co. Ltd. 13. Tonghai Li Du Flower Co. Ltd. 14. Kunming Jing Yuan Flower Industry Co. Ltd. 15. Kunming Yang Yue Horticulture Co. Ltd. 16. Kunming Man Tianxin Flower Co. Ltd.17. Yunnan Sunshine Flower Industry Development Co. Ltd. of Yunnan University18. Yunnan Shi Bo Sunshine Co. Ltd.19. Kunming Heng Yang Flower Co. Ltd.20. Yuxi Ming Zhu Biological Technology Development Co. Ltd.21. Yuxi Heng Xin Flower Co. Ltd. 22. Yuxi Xin Rong flower Co. Ltd.23. Kunming Qian Hui seedlings Co. Ltd. 24. Yunnan Green Land Biological Science Co. Ltd. 25. Yunnan Jin Lan Flower Co. Ltd. 26. Yunnan Golden Sun Flower Co. Ltd. 27. Yuanjiang Zhang Jianghua Flower Co. Ltd. 28. Yuanjiang Xing Yuan Service Co. Ltd. 29. Kunming Blue Dragonfly Dry Flower Co. Ltd. 30. Kunming Dounan Flower Co. Ltd. 31. Yunnan Yuan Yi Horticultural Engineering Co. Ltd.32. Yunnan He Shi Flower Co. Ltd. 33. Kunming Hui Feng Flower and Horticulture Co. Ltd. 34. Jing Hu Integrated Flower Co. Ltd.

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1 Overview: Floriculture Industry in the Philippines

• Other ornamentals – trees, shrubs, bushes, roots,cuttings and slips used indoors or for landscape purposes.

The floriculture industry in the Philippines started as small-scale backyard activities or home hobbies in the sixties. In the mid 80’s, the industry emerged as a huge income source and a potential foreign exchange earner. Greater awareness and recognition of high returns on investments alongside rapid population growth, higher standard of living, the rise of more hotels and restaurants, and the influx of tourists have accelerated industry growth, particularly in the nineties with the advent of large-scale commercial enterprises. The establishment of large-scale private companies brought in new types and varieties of ornamental plants. Most of the flower varieties came from foreign countries such as Netherlands, Australia, Thailand, and Malaysia. In the Philippines, the floriculture industry thrives well in places leading the trade like Benguet, Cebu, Davao,

Cut flower or floriculture industry is the production, marketing, commerce and trade of ornamentals/cut flowers. In the Philippines, the floriculture industry is almost synonymous with the ornamental horticulture industry, the former connotes flowers; the latter, includes flowers and other ornamentals. The country offers the following horticultural products for both domestic and external trade:

• Cut flowers – fresh flowers and flower buds thathave been cut from the plant suitable for bouquets, wreath, corsage and special flower arrangements;

• Foliage and other plant parts – fresh leaves andbranches of trees, shrubs, bushes and other plants, grasses, mosses, lichens and the like suitable for ornamental purposes;

• Dried ornamentals – dried, dyed, bleached plantmaterials such as grasses, statice, eucalyptus; and

Case Study: PhilippinesFloriculture in the Cordillera Region

by Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center (CWEARC)

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Table 1: Volume of Cut Flower Production, Philippines, 1991-2000

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

In thousand dozen

Anthurium 124 153 194 283 275 292 324 348 359 333

Chrysanthemum 8,177 8,866 1,751 1,965 942 1,028 1,264 1,242 1,286 1,755

Daisy 1,483 1,644 1,601 1,561 1,716 1,624 2,327 2,230 2,504 2,507

Gladiola 8,973 10,049 6,087 9,097 9,670 1,892 1,899 1,923 1,950 1,973

Orchids 683 732 941 1,106 1,199 1,499 1,641 1,831 1,980 1,929

Roses 2,561 2,285 3,274 3,279 3,478 3,785 3,235 2,232 2,280 3,642

In thousand bundles

Baby's Breath 284 528 539 664 571 560 557 672 765 757

Statice a_/ 349 351 465 604 605 513 290 298 307

Aster (tons) 838 862 868 849 832 844 838 916 914 284

Sampaguita (tons) 153 157 171 173 181 284 283 377 387 292

In thousand pieces

Ylang-Ylang 9 14 13 13 13 156 219 226 227 232a_/ - less than one thousand bundlesSOURCE: (Bureau of Agricultural Statistics/Bernardino, 2002)

Bulacan, Negros, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Negros Occidental and South Cotabato.

There are about 1,600 hectares devoted to cut flower production in the Philippines (Bernardino, 2002). The major varieties that are grown are gladiola, daisy, rose, orchid, anthurium, and chrysanthemum. Most of these are produced in the Cordillera Administrative Region, specifically the province of Benguet.

In 2000, the country was able to produce 12 million dozens of varieties of cut flowers or an increase of 2 million dozens compared to the 10 million in the previous year. Table 1 presents the production trend from 1991 to 2000. Increase in demand especially in the domestic market, led to more production. But despite the larger area devoted to cut flowers, there is still a short fall in the supply. The country had to import some cut flowers, mainly chrysanthemum and orchids from other countries. This is strongly evident during Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14), All Saint’s Day (Nov. 1), School Graduation (March and April), May Flower Festivals and Yuletide Seasons (December).

2 Floriculture in the Cordillera RegionThe development of the cut flower industry in the Cordillera Region was a natural offshoot of a temperate and favourable climate. The introduction of cut flowers for commercial purposes can be traced to the early 1900s when Kennon Road leading to Baguio City

was being constructed. During the American period, Baguio City was primed as rest and recreation centre and summer capital of the country. The Americans had brought in a large quantity of Baguio/Benguet lilies for the landscape. Flowers became a part of the landscape as cottages were built in Baguio City.

Rose production was pioneered by a Filipino-Chinese entrepreneur named Greg Ramos. He devoted a large area of his land for the cultivation of roses. Caretakers of various houses in the area followed suit leading to the emergence of flower retailing business. In the 1950s, cut flowers were grown in backyard gardens. This small production gradually increased from 1960s to 1980s, especially on roses, calla lily, baby’s breath, daisy, everlasting and Queen Anne’s lace. The entry of the Puyat farms (now the King Louis Flowers and Plants Incorporated) further spurred the development of the cut flower industry in the area and several vegetable farmers started to shift in favour of cut flowers.

2.1 Cut Flower Production

The cut flower industry now ranks second to vegetable production. In Benguet province, where the bulk of Cordillera cut flowers come from, the cut flower industry had a total production of about 26.32 million dozens in 1999 with the top three cut flower crops as gladiolus (10 million dozens), chrysanthemum (8.3 million dozens) and rose (4.6 million dozens). Among Benguet’s municipalities, La Trinidad accounts for 92.9% of the total production. The cut flower producing barangays in La Trinidad are Ambiong (45 ha), Lubas (47.6 ha), Shilan (66.8 ha), and Bahong (80

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Table 2: Cut Flower Producing Areas, Benguet, 1999

Municipality Number of growers

Area Harvested (ha)

Production volume (dozens) Crop specilization

Atok 554 10.0 66,050 Chrysanthemum (2.5 ha)

Bakun 69 2.0 17,100 Chrysanthemum ( 1 ha)

Buguis 523 22.5 325,680 Chrysanthemum ( 1 ha), anthurium

Itogon 107 19.5 252,012 Rose (3.5 ha), shasta daisy, calla lilly, statice, baby’s breath,

Kapangan 40 5.0 60,000 Gladiolas (5 ha)

Kibungan 345 42.5 449,215 Shasta daisy, calla lilly

La Trinidad 5,743 991.3 24,454,905 Rose (188 ha), gladiolas (500 ha), chrysanthemum (278 ha), statice, baby’s breath, anthurium

Mankayan 42 9.0 92,064 Chrysanthemum (4 ha)

Sablan 30 3.0 26,000 Chrysanthemum (1 ha), anthurium

Tuba 170 11.0 133,200 Chrysanthemum (6 ha), anthurium

Tublay 513 43.2 440,719 Rose (18.6 ha), gladiolas (21.5 ha), chrysanthemum (2 ha), anthurium

Total 8,136 1,159 26,316,945

Source: DA-Benguet, 1999

October and November onwards. Because rainfall is damaging to cut flowers, only few producers grow cut flowers during the rainy season. However, year-round production is possible under greenhouse culture. Table 3 shows the planting and harvesting calendar for major cut flowers in Benguet.

Tools used are common and unsophisticated like hoes, sickles, shovels, and bolos for land preparation and maintenance. Irrigation is done either through the rain bird system or using watering cans and rubber hose. Some own water pumps that facilitate irrigation.

A wide range of chemicals is used in cut flower production. Inorganic pesticides are used for crop protection. These are sprayed through ordinary backpack sprayers, although some enterprises use power sprayers.

To minimize the incidence of pests and diseases, many cut flower producers in Benguet use greenhouses. Greenhouses are made of plastic or polyethylene sheets roofing to protect the flowers from the rain and diseases. Sizes of green houses range from 500m2 to 2000m2. An investment for a greenhouse can range from 50,000 pesos to over one million pesos for the most sophisticated type.

Most of the funds for floriculture production come from owners’ equity. A DTI study in 2000 showed that the current capitalization for the floriculture industry ranges from 150,000 to 1,500,000 pesos. Open field

has). Bahong is declared as the rose capital of the country because a significant part of the 540 ha. land area of the municipality is devoted for rose production. Table 2 lists the cut flower producing areas in Benguet and corresponding crops popularly grown. There are 8,136 growers in Benguet with an average farm area of 1,523 m2. Other provinces of the region such as Abra, Ifugao and Mt. Province produce limited volume of cut flowers.

Raw materials (e.g. seeds) usually come from Baguio and La Trinidad, particularly from on-farm propagation of old varieties. Rose producers propagate planting materials by budding and grafting. Anthurium, in turn, is propagated from suckers that are separated from the mother plants after the formation of leaves and root establishment. For chrysanthemums, growers avail of new varieties by buying reject flowers from flower shops and use the stems cuttings as planting material.

In terms of labour requirements, cut flower production requires only one-man labour per production cycle for a 1,500 square meter area. The manager is usually the owner-grower himself assisted by an average of three farm workers being paid on a daily basis. A hired female worker is paid 120 pesos a day while a male worker is paid an amount of 150 pesos. The use of family labour is common in floriculture production (DTI, 2000).

With open field culture, flowers like chrysanthemum and gladiolus are planted in January, February and June and harvested by April-May onwards as well as

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culture does not require as much capitalization compared to floriculture production that requires the construction of a green house.

Aside from the fixed costs for initial capitalization, growers spend 2,000 to over 13,000 pesos (around 45-300 USD) as production cost for an area of 100 m2 depending on the type of cut flower.

2.2 The Marketing System

There are at least 11 types of player in the cut flower marketing system according to the 1993 study of the Foundation for Resource Linkage and Development (FRLD). These are the breeders, input suppliers, growers, integrators, traders, cooperatives, transporters, brokers, exporters and importers, institutional buyers and walk-in consumers. Breeders are suppliers of planting materials that are produced through tissue culture or embryo culture. Input suppliers are either distributors or dealers who buy and sell farm inputs such as fertilizers and chemical. They buy farm inputs directly from the companies. Growers are the individuals who produce and sell cut flowers on a regular basis. Integrators perform several functions in the cut flower commodity system, from breeding to growing and marketing. Traders are responsible for the distribution of cut flowers from production sites to the demand centres. Cooperatives are organizations where members are assisted in the selling and the distribution of grower-members’ produce to buyers. Some cooperatives provide planting input to their members. Transporters are responsible for transporting cut flowers from the supply areas to the demand areas. Brokers facilitate the entry of planting materials and cut flowers into the country. Exporters ship cut flowers to foreign countries that serve as alternative outlets. On the other hand, importers bring in cut flowers including planting stocks, tools and equipment. Institutional buyers such as hotels, restaurants, banks, offices, hospitals, and churches purchase cut flowers to beautify their institutions. Walk-in consumers are occasional buyers

of cut flowers and on minimal basis. Each of these participants contributes to the production, distribution and the consumption levels of the marketing system.

As a practice, growers have different ways of getting their produce to the market. Small-scale farmers normally trade their produce to the Hangar market at around 3:00 to 4:00 am daily. Similarly, Bahong rose growers bring the flowers to the collection centres at around 5:00 to 6:00 am for transport pick-up to Manila. Contract growers of the King Louis Farms, Inc. bring chrysanthemums to the Benguet State University collection centre and cold storage area at 3:00 pm. The flowers are either dry packed or wet stored. The “suki” or regular client system is the predominant buying and selling arrangement of carnation, baby’s breath, and some chrysanthemum growers, thus ensuring steady supply even in times of shortage. Traders occasionally give cash advances before harvest to lure growers to give their products to them. A similar and more popular arrangement is for a trader to provide all of the grower’s farm input needs in return for the exclusive right to get the harvest at a pre-agreed price. The predominant mode of payment under this system is credit with payment possible from a minimum of one week up to a maximum of one month.

Most small and medium-scale cut flower growers in Benguet sell their produce in the domestic market. Baguio City and Metro Manila are the major market outlays (Figure 2). In Baguio, the flowers are delivered to the Hangar Market and at Marbay. In Manila, the flowers are sold in Dos Castillos, Dimasalang and San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City. The overall transportation, handling and hauling of the cut flowers comprise the bulk of the marketing cost. Like the small and medium producers, the King Louis Flowers and Plants Inc. sell majority of its produce to the domestic market. This large producer also exports bulbs such as calla lily to Holland and Hong Kong but this comprises only 5% of the total production.

Table 3: Production Calendar for Major Cut Flowers, Benguet

Cut FlowerMonth

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Rose H H H H H PH PH PH PH PH H H

Gladiolus PH PH PH H H P PH PH PH PH PH PH

Chrysanthemum PH PH PH H H P P P P PH PH PH

Anthurium PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH

Statice P H H H H P P

Shasta daisy PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH PH

Baby’s breath PH PH PH PH PH PH PHSource: FRLD, 1993Legend: P-planting, H-harvesting

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2.3 Public and Private Institutions Involved in the Cut Flower Industry

Since the 1980s, there have been several private and public institutions involved in the cut flower industry (Table 4). These organizations include the Provincial Agricultural Office (PAO), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Benguet State University (BSU), and some NGOs. The PAO directs the national programs of the DA at the provincial level. Among its accomplishments are training programs in cut flower production, establishment of demonstration farms for anthuriums and close coordination with the BSU to validate research results through farm trials. Meanwhile, the Land Bank of the Philippines extends loans to farm cooperatives and individual growers. At least five cooperatives in

Figure 1: Market Outlets

Small-Scale Growers

Medium-scale Growers

Large-scale Growers(King Louis Flowers and

Plants Incorporated)

BAGUIO CITY

Hangar MarketMarbay

METRO MANILA

DimasalangDos CastillosSan Francisco Del Monte

INTERNATIONAL MARKET

(Holland)(Hong Kong)

Benguet, most of which were organized in the early 1990s, benefited from such loans. These Cooperatives are the Bahong Multipurpose Cooperative, Tomay Cut Flowers Association, Federation of Land Reform Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, Shilan Multipurpose Cooperative and the Baguio Ornamental Growers Multipurpose Cooperative. These cooperatives extend provision of farm inputs as well as cash to their members. They also conduct meetings and seminars on the control of pests and diseases of cut flowers. The Benguet State University (BSU), through its extension services unit, is involved in the industry in terms of technology generation verification and utilization. The BSU and the DA-BPI are partners on cut flower researches.

Table 4: Institutions Involved in the Cut Flower Industry, by Type of Service, Benguet

Type of Service Institution

Financial credit LBP, DTI, Plan International, JVOFI

Extension BSC, DA, DTI, PAO, Plan International, JVOFI, SGV, SLU-EISSIF, Cooperatives

Technical research and development BSU, BPI-DA Research Division

Market information DTI

Pest and disease entry monitoring BPI-PQS

Infrastructure development Bahong Multi-purpose Cooperative, JVOFI, DA (HADP)Source: FRLD, 1993

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Among the non-government organizations (NGOs) involved are the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. (JVOFI), Plan International, and Saint Louis University-Extension Institute for Small-Scale Industries, Inc. The JVOFI has extension services in Benguet that include conducting and coordinating training programs on institutional development. It also provides funding support to selected communities (e.g., Irisan and Alapang) for planting materials and support facilities to enable families to enter into anthurium production. The Saint Louis University-Extension Institute for Small-Scale Industries, Inc. provides training courses on flower arrangement, corsage and bouquet making. There are extension activities that tackle entrepreneurship, management and technical training, consultancy or advice services as well as research and information.

2.4 Government Assistance and Intervention

The government consistently promotes floriculture farming in consideration of the industry’s income generating capacity for both the growers and the country. In 1998 alone, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) estimated that the annual contribution of cut flower enterprises reached Php961.52 million excluding at least Php128 million pesos contributed by the King Louis Flowers and Plants, Inc. In order to enhance and sustain these economic benefits, there is a need for improved support services, including extension of marketing and financial assistance (e.g. subsidies, incentives, and loans to small flower growers). Marketing assistance would include conduct of trade fairs and improved market information system. As it is, infrastructure support (e.g. road accessibility, post-harvest facilities, adequacy of water and power supply, irrigation, and communication) for the industry also needs a lot of improvement, again especially for the benefit of small-scale enterprises. Poor communication facilities, for instance, lead to limited access to market information, thus making small farmers more dependent on information from unscrupulous middlemen. On human resource development, several trainings and seminars are sponsored by different government line agencies in order to equip growers with the necessary skills and knowledge regarding cut flower production. These include trainings on production and crop protection; and how to form and manage cooperatives, tissue culture, flower arrangement, and processing of dried flowers. The BSU and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) also extend a variety of technical assistance through seminars and trainings for individual growers and cooperatives on various aspects of cut flower production.

2.5 The Role of La Trinidad Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO)

The Local Government Unit (LGU) through the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) under the Mayor’s Office of La Trinidad works mainly for the agricultural development of the municipality. The MAO is not dependent on other state institutions for its mode of operation. They operate based on the needs of the local farmers. In 2003, MAO was expected to spend four hundred thousand pesos (Php400,000) for the importation/purchase of seedlings. In the same year, the MAO imported strawberry runners from Argentina. The process started with getting orders from the farmers, then looking for an exporter who is willing to give the runners at low-cost. Finally, the runners were given to the local strawberry farmers. They also import other high value crops like liliums and new varieties of carnation.

The MAO, with a limited budget and knowledge on floriculture, works through the help of a “magsasakang siyentista” or farmer scientist. To complement the efforts of BSU and the Highland Agriculture Research and Development Center (HARDEC) in the field of research, the farmer-scientist shares his knowledge based on personal experiences on growing cut flowers, which becomes a good source of information regarding floriculture. Besides training opportunities, new inputs and equipment are given to the farmer-scientist for experimentation in order to discover the effectiveness and efficiency of technologies to improve cut flower production. The farmer-scientist functions as the main resource person in the conduct of research on cut flowers and as an educator who facilitates learning by sharing technologies learned with fellow farmers. The MAO also maintains contact with farmers through field visits.

The MAO also implements a techno-demonstration project on soil fertility restoration. This is a soil rejuvenation project for rose production. Aside from the adverse effects of pesticides on health, the MAO admitted that use of pesticides has resulted in poor soil quality. Hence, the original 12-year life span of rose has declined to five years. Conclusively, there is a need to return to organic farming, which is safe and low-cost. There is also a plan to import friendly mites, which are natural enemies of cut flower pests. After years of promoting pesticides, they have assessed that the imported mites are better compared with imported pesticides, which are hazardous to health.

The MAO’s achievement also includes the establishment of a cut flower propagation center in Bahong where farmers were given rooted carnation seedlings at one-peso per seedling, thereby enabling farmers to

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get higher profit by buying seedlings at a very cheap price. In 2003, a Cut Flower “Bagsakan Center”, a marketing and trading center, was set up. However, it is not yet fully operational because there is still a need to formulate its operating guidelines. In 2004, five hundred thousand pesos (Php500,000) was allotted for the improvement of the marketing and trading center, which will be helpful to cut flower farmers since it will provide a place for direct-selling. The trading center will only cater to small farmers or enterprises.

3 Case Studies: Socio-Economic Profiles of Cut Flower Growers

3.1 Small Owner-tillers

The four women interviewed were all involved in small-scale rose production. Together with their husbands, each of the respondents operates on 200 to 500 square meters of floriculture land. The families of all the respondents depend on rose production as their primary source of income. These women are involved in the overall production process, from land preparation, planting, weeding, harvesting to fertilizer and pesticide application. The four respondents are all married with two to three children. The years of involvement in floriculture of these women range from less than a year to more than seven years.

Grace Singson and her family operate and manage a 200 square meter garden. She laments about the high price of chemical inputs, which pull up monthly production cost to as high as 10,000 pesos, thus resulting in losses. To lessen production cost, Grace and her husband are in charge of all daily tasks required by rose production such as planting, budding, weeding and harvesting the roses. She also applies fertilizers and sprays pesticides in their garden. Rose production entails hard work. At times, extreme fatigue from the day-to-day gardening sets in. Every time she sprays pesticides, she reportedly feels nose irritation, dizziness and headache. However, because there is no one else beside her husband to spray pesticides, Grace still carries out the task despite the conditions she usually experiences. It used to be more profitable when they were just starting. From 1995 to 2001, their produce had high demand and thus was also relatively more expensive. In those times, a dozen roses could be sold at 100 pesos. However since 2002, income from rose production has declined significantly primarily due to stiff market competition and the high cost of production. The family has to carefully budget the small money they get from their garden to cover production and household expenses. At present, monthly sales range from less than 10,000 to 20,000 pesos. Usually the family is able to get 3,000 in profit, which is stretched to cover household expenses.

Grace always encounters difficulty in budgeting three thousand pesos (68 USD) for a month for her five-member family.

Dominga Siog-oy, a 22-year old resident of Sitio Sadag, Bahong, La Trinidad, earns with her husband through cut flower production to support their family with two children. For more than a decade, she worked in the rose garden of her parents. Eventually, Dominga put up their own rose production on a 500 square meter of land given by her parents. Although the land was free of cost, they still spent more than 80,000 pesos for the capitalization of the rose production. Almost 80% of the capitalization was loaned without interest from Dominga’s parents. Like other rose producers, the Siog-oy family had to wait for about four to five months before they could get their first harvest. Dominga estimated that her family spent about 10,000 monthly for production. Inputs, especially chemical pesticides and fertilizers, were very expensive. The rose garden is sprayed with pesticides every four days while fertilizers are applied every fifteen days. In order to finance production, the family was forced to resort to loans. Things have not been easy for the family. They acquired a large amount of loan for capitalization to start up and had no income for four to five months. At the time of the interview, the Siog-oys had not harvested from their rose garden yet. Basing on the current market trend for roses, the family worries about the profit performance of their rose garden.

Rose Famen, a resident of Sadag, Bahong, relies solely on their small-scale rose production as the primary source of income. With a start-up capital of 40,000 pesos, her family embarked on rose production on less than 500 square meters garden. The family had to resort to loans, but after more than a year of production they were still unable to clear all their debts. The first harvest gave a gross income of about four thousand pesos. Rose estimated monthly production cost of about 10,000 pesos, but since family labour is unpaid, she concluded that the bulk of their monthly capital went to pesticides and fertilizers. The Famens were able to harvest 28 bundles of roses from their garden every three days. During peak months of the business, a bundle of long stemmed rose could be sold at 80 pesos and short stemmed roses sold at 70 pesos. Most of the time roses are bought at 25 pesos per bundle. Rose production does not provide a fixed income to the family. The gross monthly income of the Famens from producing cut flowers ranges from more than 20,000 pesos during peak seasons to less than 8,000 pesos during low periods. Profitability is directly affected by high price of inputs and the fluctuating market price of roses.

Lourdes Montes, a 27-year old small-scale rose producer from Sitio Sadag, Bahong, uses a monthly

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operating capital of 10,000 pesos mainly due to the high price of chemical inputs. Already with unpaid family labour, low earnings forced the family to tighten their belts. Only 3,000 pesos is allocated for the family’s household needs that include costs for food, water and electricity bills. Like other small growers, she had to find other sources of income for her family. Lourdes engages in “por dia” jobs in other cut flower farms on a daily basis. Income from the garden cannot meet the family’s financial needs. They experienced low profit or loss starting in 2002 when market prices dropped due to entry of imported flowers. Before then, a bundle of rose costs 70 to 80 pesos. However, in December 2002, the price of roses dropped to as low as 3 to 5 pesos a bundle. At times, it was cheaper for farmers not to sell their produce to avoid transportation cost.

3.2 Combination of Flower Grower and Vegetable Producer

The interviewee, Willy Gaston, had been engaged in the flower industry since 1982. At that time, he cultivated statice and gladiola on 200 square meters. Because he practiced the open field culture, the flowers did not have any protection from harsh weather. Growing flowers was labour intensive, but he did not hire any help and tended the garden with his wife. They did not use pesticides or fungicides. At harvest time, it required hours to carry the produce to the loading area because of the distance of the garden to the main road. He sold the flowers for Php6.00 per bundle and earned a net income of more than Php30,000 for every picking. At that time, the amount was quite sufficient for their family. However, he could not cope with the hard work involved in the production and shifted to vegetable farming after a year. In 1998, he restarted flower growing. On a 500 square meters, he established a greenhouse that cost him Php132,000. The greenhouse was made of steel bars and a special kind of net for the covering. He went to Manila to buy seedlings of white anthuriums imported from Holland. Instead of receiving 50 seedlings that were allocated to him, he was given only 37 seedlings. He bought each seedling for Php180.00 and propagated them for two years. In the second year, he was gathering 4-6 dozens a month and was selling it to the flower market in Baguio City. By the year 2000, he was gathering 120 dozens which he brought to Manila to sell at Php350.00 per dozen/bundle (1 dozen per bundle). This was the highest price he got from his anthuriums. However, considering that there was no income in the first two years, the Php42,000 merely covered the cost for garden maintenance.

Anthurium keeps on bearing flowers once it starts blooming because it is not seasonal and there is no need to re-plant after every picking. It is an all weather

plant but needs protection, i.e., the green house. At present, buyers from Vigan come to his farm twice a month to buy the flowers at a regular price of Php100/dozen for big, Php80 for medium and Php45 for small ones. He picks twice a month and has a regular monthly net income of Php16,000 – Php20,000. However, he says the income is not enough for his big family. He says that it is best to gather the flowers every ten days to avoid spoilage, but he needs to propagate more in order to have sufficient supply to meet the demands of the consumer.

Anthuriums do not require much work except spraying once a month or as needed, e.g., when worms or fungi infest plants. He sprays Sumisidin green label for worms and Saprol as a fungicide. Willy also prepares a mixture of one sack chicken dung and sunflowers (leaves and stems) in a drum filled with water that he sprays on the plants after a month. He finds the formula effective as a fertilizer and pesticide. Accordingly, fellow gardeners do not believe that he uses very minimal pesticide and fungicide. Aside from anthuriums, he is now starting to propagate tulips and imported orchids from Hawaii.

Mr. Willy Geston, 52 years old, is a Mining Engineer before he finally decided to become a farmer. At present, he is the manager of the Credit Cooperative in Tomay that covers Barangays Tawang and Bahong. His wife sold a part of the land she inherited from her parents to put up their starting capital. Since the income from the flower industry is not enough for the family with the children in school, he left the operation of the greenhouse to his wife to engage in the vegetable industry. He operates on 4,000 square meters where he plants celery, beans, “womboc” (Chinese cabbage) or “palonchay”. He says he uses organic fertilizer. He makes his own compost. He sprays four times throughout the season on beans. He explains that he does not use much chemical inputs because he also eats the vegetables he grows. He sprays once a week on the “womboc” but continuously until harvest on celery. However, he does not eat vegetables with heavy chemical inputs.

The income from vegetable production is more than what they get from growing flowers because the area is bigger. When typhoon Harurot devastated the country, “palonchay” sold at Php180 per kilo. When prices are good, they can gross Php230,000 for one cropping season. However, they lose when prices are not good and go down to Php1.00/kilo and they only get Php20,000/ cropping which is not even enough to pay for the chemical inputs that amount to Php22,000. Although he uses organic fertilizers, he buys pesticides that he sprays on the vegetables. He has a hired helper whom he pays Php3,000 a month and provides free quarters, water, light, utensils, stove and gas. The helper buys his food. Mr. Geston paid for the transportation of the hired help from Mindanao when he came to work for him.

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Willy does not know about incentives, assistance, or opportunities extended to farmers by the government in promoting the flower industry as part of tourism. He says they can hardly avail of loans from the Land Bank. The bank is very strict and has requirements that farmers cannot fulfil that only bring about feelings of discouragement, disappointment and defeat.

3.3 Grower-leaseholder with Employees

The Alvarez family used to be in the business of selling flowers in Dapitan. But eventually they shifted from selling to producing cut flowers. Mr Alvarez began producing Malaysian mums in Barangay Bahong, La Trinidad, Benguet with a starting capital of 500,000 pesos. He started with small piece of land and gradually expanded to 3,000 square meters after one and half years of operations. Consistent with the growth of the business, the capital also increased up to 1.8 million pesos.

As owner-operator Mr. Alvarez oversees the entire production process. Malaysian mums are produced inside greenhouses. A greenhouse which covers 3,000 square meters costs more than half a million pesos. The production starts with conditioning the soil by tilling and using fertilizers. Then seeds of Malaysian mums are planted. The garden needs constant weeding, watering and application of fertilizers and pesticides. Inside the greenhouse, the plants are lighted with florescent lamps to maintain the heat during night time. When the seedlings are about a foot high they are “blocked out”, i.e., are draped with black bags. During this stage, the plants no longer need florescent lighting at night time. The black drapes are removed once the flowers start to bloom. 90 days after planting, the flowers are ready for harvest. Throughout the production process, fertilizers and pesticides are applied to ensure good quality of the cut flowers. Mr. Alvarez usually buys pesticides and fertilizers at La Trinidad. The top of the mature plants or the mother plants are cut and the stalks are soaked in “Liquinox”, a chemical used to make the stalks produce roots. The stalks are then planted into sand boxes called “river sides”. After 10-14 days, the seedlings are transferred to the greenhouse. From then it will again take 90 days for the plants to produce flowers. When the flowers are harvested, they are sorted and then placed in styrofoam boxes. The boxes are delivered to flower stalls in Manila and sold for about 150 pesos per dozen. Mr. Alvarez estimates that the production cost of Malaysian mums per dozen is around 68-72 pesos. Mr. Alvarez pays 35,000 pesos for the annual rent of his 3,000 square meter floriculture land. Mr. Alvarez hires six workers throughout the entire production process. Each worker is paid 100 pesos per day excluding board and lodging. According to Mr. Alvarez the skill of his workers has contributed much to the good quality and

quantity of their harvest.

Mr. Alvarez has a secure market for his produce. He supplies cut flowers to relatives who own flower shops in Manila. The respondent did not reveal the exact profit he gets from his production but he is proud to say that he ensures the good quality of his products hence his cut flowers are highly demanded. On the average, the Alvarez farm earns a net income, which is 60% more than that of the overall production cost.

3.4 Large-Scale Production with Contract Growing: the King Louis Farm

Mr. Vicente Puyat started his flower enterprise in 1983. He first hired Israeli consultants for cut flowers, strawberries and highland vegetables of King Louis Farm, but failed. A technical assistant, Mr. Hermano, picked up the pieces and became the farm’s Technical Manager who managed to improve King Louis Farm’s operations, which eventually flourished. The area planted with flowers covered seven hectares. Chrysanthemums and roses were given more importance because they were in demand but other flowers like poinsettia, lilies, carnation and tulips from Holland were also propagated.

The Farm had 70 regular workers and would hire 150 contract workers during the harvest season in the months of October for the All Souls Day Operation, December for the Holiday Operation and February for the Valentine Operation and the Baguio Flower Festival or Panagbenga. During the first years of employment the workers were only receiving Php90/day, which was later raised to Php120/day and then to Php150/day. When the workers formed their union, they were able to avail of the minimum wage which was Php190/day, and were entitled to sick leave, vacation leave, became SSS members and also received bonuses. Contract workers received no benefits except their daily wages, which were the same rate received by a regular worker.

The demand for mums was very high in the mid ‘90s. King Louis Farm did well in propagating and hastening the blooming period of the flower plants. With the use of a new technology, called the lighting and blocking system, mums could be harvested three times a year. During the month of June, days are longer so the plants were covered to block the day light from the plants. During the month of December, when days are shorter, light is used in the early evening for two hours to prolong daylight. The system provides good harvest and induces the plant to bloom in time for occasions when flowers are most needed. With the technology, the farm produces quality flowers and harvests 3-4 dozens of flowers from a square meter. Mums are sold for Php100/dozen. If the farm gathers three dozens of mums per square meter multiplied by 70,000 square

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Figure 2: Diagram showing the annual production cost and income of King Louis Farms

Cost of Production(P40 per dozen)

Harvest per Sq. m(3 doz.)

Total Land Area(70,000 sq. meter)

Number of Harvests per Year (3)

Gross Incomeper Year

(P63,000,000)

Annual Net Income(P37,800,000)minus

Production Costper Year

(P25,200,000)

Price of Produce (P100 per dozen)

Harvest per sq. meter(3 doz.)

Total Land Area(70,000 sq. meter)

Number of Harvests per Year (3)

x

x

x

x

x

x

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meters, then the farm can pick 210,000 dozens per harvest or a total of 630,000 dozens over three pickings in a year. The diagram below shows an estimate of the annual production cost and income of King Louis Farm.

A rough estimate of the starting capital places the figure at Php10,000,000 – Php15,000,000 based on the price of the produce, the cost of production multiplied by the total area.

In rose production, the Farm harvests 50 dozens per picking and harvest is done three times a week. In the month of January, harvested roses are placed in a cool storage to be preserved or to “put the flowers to sleep” and are brought out by February in time for Valentine’s season to meet the demand of consumers. Roses are sold at Php200/dozen during this occasion but on ordinary days, it sells for Php120/dozen. With a harvest of 150 dozens a week, multiplied by 56 weeks in a year, the harvest per year is 8,400 dozens at Php120/dozen or a gross income of Php1,008,000 per year. Accordingly, once roses bloom, they bloom the whole year round with proper care and technology. Roses are trimmed once a year and replanted every eight or ten years at the most. The peak of its bloom is on its 6th year. The market for the flowers is only confined to Luzon and the Visayas. Flowers from the Farm, especially roses, are not exported because they cannot compete with those coming from Colombia. In addition, King Louis Farm can hardly cope with the increasing demand for flowers in the local market. Because the Puyats are the only producers of cut flowers, there is a shortage of supply and prices are also very high. The Farm tried to put up a facility in Manila for easier and better distribution of flowers to consumers but it did not prosper because of hot climate and costly electric bills. In 1996, due to high demand for flowers, Puyat started the contract growing scheme. In this scheme, King Louis provides the farmer with the seedlings and technology for the production process. A contract is signed between the farmer and King Louis Farm that states that the seedlings will be provided by King Louis Farm, the farmer must follow the provided technology, and all the produce will be bought by King Louis on a fixed price throughout the year. This meant that whether prices of flowers go up, King Louis would still buy them at the price agreed upon. The farmers cannot sell any of the flowers to other parties aside from King Louis. The farmers’ counterpart is the facilities and labour. The scheme was first introduced to flower farmers in Bahong. They started with five people from the Segundo and Padio families. Mr. Faustino Hermano taught them the new technology of mum production. Since the concentration was on mums, the roses in

Bahong, which were planted in open fields, were soon neglected. By that time, more vegetable farmers had shifted to growing flowers causing an over production that caused the near bankruptcy of the flower industry. The 220 hectares owned by Mr. Puyat, which included the Farm had to be subdivided and sold to Santa Lucia Corporation under the government’s Land Reform Program. The flower industry was dispersed and distributed to neighbouring communities. Mr. Puyat bought a parcel of land in Lamtang and in Longlong for cut flowers, leased a lot in Atok from Mr. Johnny Uy and a lot in Alapang. The dispersal of the flower gardens made monitoring difficult and became a factor in the decline of King Louis. At present, it is propagating coloured calla lilies and carnation aside from the poinsettias that the City government buys during Christmas season. King Louis expanded the flower industry to Bukidnon, in Southern Philippines, because of the similarity of its climate to Baguio City and Benguet.

4. Case Studies on Health Issues and Pesticide Use As of 2002, Bahong had a total population of 4,078 or 679 households. Majority of its population are small-scale floriculture farmers who work on less than a hectare of land. Aside from roses, gladiola, mums, aster, statice and anthuriums are also produced in the area. A few residents produce highland vegetables in a very small volume. About 74% of its farmers own the agricultural lands they till. While most of these farmers raise their own starting capital, there are times when they resort to borrowing primarily due to floriculture being capital-intensive. The average household income from cut flower production ranges from 5,001 to 7,500 pesos. All the farmers use a combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer. Farmers are more pre-disposed to the latter’s use just like pesticides. Chemical pesticides are used in the barangay with application events ranging from once every two weeks to twice a week. The study was conducted in three sitios, namely: Sadag, Anuding, and Central Bahong.

4.1 Sitio Sadag

Residents of Sitio Sadag were pioneers in floriculture production. They started cut flower production in the 80’s with rose as the most common crop (Table 5). Majority of the gardens are located in backyards and almost all of the farmers operate in less than a hectare of land. A total of 99 respondents were interviewed in order to formulate a profile on the fertilizer and pesticide use among cut flower farmers in Sitio Sadag,

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Bahong, La Trinidad. Most of the farmers use fertilizers and pesticides intensively with both males and females involved in the spraying of chemical inputs. Boots, long-sleeved shirts and long pants, used in combination, are the most common personal protective equipment. Masks are often made up of 1-2 layers of cloth wrapped around the face. Only three of the respondents use eye protection while spraying.

Table 5: Types of Cut Flowers Produced in Sitio Sadag

Crops Frequency Percentage

Aster 3 2.70

Astromelia 1 .90

Anthurium 1 2.70

Chrysanthemum 2 1.80

Gladiola 1 .90

Malaysian Mums 6 5.41

Rose 92 82.88

*Vegetables 3 2.70

Out of 99 respondents, 58 store fertilizers and pesticides in storage rooms in their gardens followed by 17 who store them in their gardens without any separate storage rooms. Ten respondents keep containers of chemical inputs in their houses while most of them store fertilizers and pesticides in nipa huts in their gardens for accessibility. Most of the farmers collect and sell empty pesticide containers while the others dump them in the creek, garden or their backyards.

Seventy-nine of the respondents claim they do not allow their children to stray in sprayed areas and in places where chemical inputs are stored. The children’s exposure to the sprayed areas is also limited because they are in school most of the time. A few children who are exposed to pesticides and fertilizers are those who help in and those who live near the gardens.

The neurological system is most affected by pesticides with frequencies of 20, 13, 4 and 2 for backyard; distant; works on land owned by others; backyard and distant; respectively. The high incidence of neurological symptoms may be attributed to the constant exposure to pesticides. The most common signs and symptoms

TABLE 6: Signs and Symptoms of Pesticide Poisoning Experienced by Farmers According to Location of Farms in Sitio Sadag

Signs and Symptoms Backyard Distant Works on land owned by others

Backyard and distant

Backyard & on land owned by others

Integument 11 7 5 2 1

Eyes 19 8 5 1 2

Respiratory 8 5 4 1 0

Gastro intestinal track (GIT) 9 2 1 2 1

Neurological 20 13 4 2 0

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experienced by farmers who work on gardens owned by others were on the integument system and the eyes. Farmers who work on backyard and farms owned by others experienced effects on the gastro-intestinal tract. Backyard farming is the most common type of farming in Sadag. Hence, backyard farmers experienced more signs and symptoms of pesticide poisoning possibly because of the short distance and constant exposure to pesticides.

Farmers normally apply fertilizers once a month depending on the type and condition of crops (Table 7). Application of different types of fertilizers is based on the stage of the growth of the plants. Different kinds of fertilizers are applied during soil preparation. Farmers are not aware that misuse of fertilizers can also cause health problems. For example, Urea can cause dermatitis, skin rashes, ulticaria, asthmatic attacks and anaphylactic reactions following inhalation and dermal contact. Nitrogen, which is found in Triple 14, Triple 16 Crop Giant and organic fertilizers is a deep lung irritant that may cause lung edema in high concentrations.

Table 7: Fertilizers Commonly Used in Sitio Sadag

Fertilizers Frequency Rank

Crop Giant 8 5

Organic fertilizers 10 4

Triple 14 48 2

Triple 16 40 3

Urea 55 1

Pesticides are used in combination or single application. The frequency of pesticide application ranges from twice a week to once every two weeks depending on the condition of the crop and the weather (Table 8). Farmers believe that the constant use of pesticides kills pests, but unknowingly the practice creates more harm

than good. The only training farmers have on the use of pesticides come from agents of agricultural inputs who are promoting their products. Recommendations from acquaintances play a big role on what and how to use fertilizers and pesticides.

Table 8: Pesticide Used by Farmers in Sitio Sadag

Pesticides Frequency Rank

Agrimeks (Avermectin, Hexanol)

25 5

Dithane (Dithiocarbamate) 50 2

Lannate (Methomyl) 57 1

Matador ( Metamidophos) 36 3

Selecron (Profenephos) 31 4

Farmers are not aware of the symptoms and signs of poisoning caused by the chemical inputs they use. They do not realize that even dizziness and mild body aches can be caused by their exposure to fertilizers and pesticides.

4.2 Sitio Anuding, Bahong

Roses, Malaysian mums and Fiji mums are the types of cut flower produced in Sitio Anuding. The residents live in close proximity to each other to maximize the relatively small land area. The terrain of Anuding is suited for farming purposes especially for cut flowers. Out of the 16 households interviewed, 14 are cut flower producers. 62% of the households work on farms adjacent to their houses and 38 % work in distant farms. Because there is no proper zoning in their locality, farmers are free to build their homes near their gardens. Majority of the farmers operate on less than a hectare of land. Only two out of the 16 respondents work on 1 to 2 hectares. The terrain in the area is mountainous which makes it difficult to farm large parcels of land.

“Farmers are not aware of the symptoms and signs of poisoning caused by the chemical inputs they use. They do not realize that even dizziness and mild body aches can be caused by their exposure to fertilizers and pesticides.”

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Boots, pants and long-sleeved shirts are the most common protective gear against fertilizers and pesticides as well as from the sun and thorn-bearing plants. Most farmers use denim pants because of its thickness and sturdiness. Only few of the farmers use cloth masks, usually made out of old cotton shirts wrapped in layers about their nose and mouth. Most farmers make it a habit to wash their hands, take a bath and wash their clothes after spraying. Ten out of the 16 respondents store their fertilizers and pesticides in storage sheds in their gardens to protect children from accidental poisoning as well as to protect them from being stolen. Majority of the farmers dispose of empty pesticide containers with their household garbage through the city garbage collection service. General awareness of the dangers of pesticides keeps the residents from dumping used containers in rivers, streams and creeks.

Out of seven farmers who have distant farms, three or 42.86% reported signs and symptoms of poisoning after pesticide use. Among these farmers, four admitted that they had never experienced any ill effects after pesticide use. Among those who have backyard farms, three out of nine farmers claimed that they had experienced poisoning signs and symptoms after pesticide use while six denied ever experiencing any adverse effects from pesticide spraying. The most common symptom experienced by farmers who had

distant farms and those who have backyard farms was eye irritation (itching, tearing, burning, etc.). They also experienced symptoms like itching of the skin, red rashes, dizziness, nausea, numbness of extremities and respiratory problems.

Eye irritations probably occur because farmers do not use any eye protection when spraying. Symptoms related to the integument system might be caused by the non-use of gloves. Neurological poisoning symptoms occur as a direct result of inhalation of the pesticide fumes. Respiratory poisoning symptoms might be caused by using pieces of old cloth for mask that do not stop chemicals from reaching the lungs. Farmers fail to use effective protective gear because of limited or lack of money.

4.3 Sitio Central Bahong

Central Bahong is both a vegetable and cut flower producing community although more flowers are grown. Roses and mums are the most common crops in the area but aster, anthuriums and other flowers are also grown. The frequency of fertilizer use ranges from twice in three months to once a month depending on the crop produced. The production of mums requires more frequent fertilizer application. A combination of different fertilizers or specific fertilizers is used depending on the growth stage of the crops.

Table 9: Presence and Absence of Signs and Symptoms Resulting from Pesticide Use According to Farm Location

Location of farmPresence of Signs and Symptoms Absence of Signs and Symptoms

Frequency % Frequency %

Distant 3 42.86 4 57.14

Backyard 3 33.33 6 66.66

The most common symptom experienced by farmers was eye irritation (itching, tearing, burning, etc.). They also experienced symptoms like itching of the skin, red rashes, dizziness, nausea, numbness of extremities and respiratory problems.

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1 Note: This research is able to provide data on importation of cut flowers only in the years 1995 to 1999. The government agencies responsible for gathering statistics on this topic failed to provide data from 1999-2004.

Pesticides are either applied or sprayed. Most flower growers cocktail pesticides often leading to overuse and misuse of chemicals. Pesticide application ranges from once a week to once every two weeks depending on the type of crop. Mums require more pesticide application than roses. A list of commonly used fertilizers and pesticides in Central Bahong is annexed to this report.

The most adverse effects that occur immediately and that seem to be a direct cause of fertilizer and pesticide application are the most noticeable. These adverse effects of pesticide and fertilizer use are eye irritations, cough, difficulty in breathing and dizziness. Because of exposure to chemicals, the floriculture workers and growers are also at risk to neurological diseases, abortions and cancer. A list of poisoning signs and symptoms from fertilizers and pesticides is annexed to this report.

5 Impacts of Importation on Flower GrowersThe Philippines imported a total of 1,858 metric tons of cut flower from 1995-1999 valued at US$9.019 million. From 1995-1997 the volume of cut flower importation showed fluctuations. However, increasing trends were observed from 1998 to 1999 at an annual average growth rate of 24%. Thirty-five percent of imported products are live plants, cuttings and slips followed by cut flowers and flower buds with 28%. Fourteen percent are orchids other than in flasks/compots and 7% are bulbs, tubers in growth/flowers. In terms of source of Philippine imports of live plants, cuttings and slips from 1995-1999, Israel contributed 30% of the total imports with an average volume of 27 metric tons per annum valued at US$321,337. In 1999, the country imported 1 metric ton from Israel valued at US$67,083. Majority of Philippine imports of fresh cut flowers and flower buds from 1995-1999 came from Thailand contributing 40% to the total with an annual average volume import of 50 metric tons valued at US$323,077. This was followed by Malaysia, which contributed 30% to the total volume imported during the period at an average of 37 metric tons valued at US$83,717.

Thailand dominated the Philippine market in terms of supplying orchids other than in flasks/compots during the period 1995-1999 contributing 78% to the total volume imported at an annual average of 60 metric tons valued at US$211,360. In 1999, the country imported 81 metric tons from Thailand valued at US$190,606.

The major supplier of bulbs and tubers in growth/flowers is Netherlands contributing 98% of the total volume imported from 1995-1999 at an annual average of 6 metric tons valued at US$134,792. (Cut flower Industry Situationer Report, 1999)1.

Cut flower growers and local traders are urging the government to stop issuing licenses for the importation of flowers. They claim that like vegetables, the cut flower industry is threatened by the entry of cheaper imported flowers that displaces them in the local markets of Baguio City and La Trinidad.

Farmers and businessmen in the region’s flower industry report that they had been experiencing the effects of importing flowers, such as anthuriums, Malaysian spray mums, aster, roses, etc. Most of these flowers are locally grown in barangays in Bahong, Alapang, and Ambiong of La Trinidad and some Barangays in Baguio City.

Rose Bolinto, 45 years old, stated that her farm is not big enough to produce more flowers. Most farmers in Bahong tend small plots of about 25 square meters. Bolinto has been engaged in flower growing for at least 15 years. She plants Malaysian spray mums, which are harvested every three months. She applies organic fertilizers and foliar spray at least two to three times. She spends at least Php10,000 for an entire crop from planting up to harvesting. In the early 1980s, the income from the yield used to double, even triple her capital. This was common among floriculture farmers. During those times, some farmers were able to build houses and were able to buy vehicles. Farmers branded their products as “green gold” because of the large profit they gained from production. However, since the mid-90’s, floriculture farmers have either gained only a little, broken even, or even incurred loss.

Caesar, 40-year old farmer, narrated how he experienced losses. In 2002, he had planted Malaysian spray mums in Brookside, Baguio City with a capital of Php20,000. He was able to sell his produce for 14,000 pesos, hence, lost Php6,000. This did not include the cost of his labour for three months and the food consumed by the flower grower. Caesar tried to market his flowers in Manila but he could not compete with imported flowers being sold. Caesar added that with the competition, selling their products in Manila may not be good option either. It was even more expensive to market their products in Manila because of the transportation and other collateral expenses involved. Rose farmers are in the same situation. Esther, 47, prefers to plant roses to other flowers because it stays

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productive even after five years unlike other varieties. Roses are in demand during December and February.First class Malaysian spray mums can be directly sold at 50 to 60 pesos per bundle, and the cheaper ones at 20 to 30 pesos. During special occasions such as All Saints Day, growers are able to sell first class mums at 80 to 100 pesos per bundle. Mrs. Bantas, 50 years old of Barangay Pico of La Trinidad, is a flower vendor. She buys a bale of Malaysian mums for 400 to 500 pesos. She can make 20 to 25 bundles per bale. She sells the Malaysian mums at 35 pesos per bundle and gain at least 300 per bale if she is able to sell all her bundled flowers. Small-scale producers cannot compete with imported flowers because the prices of their produce are based on their capital expenses. They cannot bring down their prices to those of cheap imported cut flowers.

6 Analysis of Case Studies

6.1 Health Issues and Pesticide Use

The use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides was one of the most pressing problems identified in floriculture. The intensive application of chemical inputs has been seen to cause adverse signs and symptoms on farmers. The illnesses attributed to pesticide and fertilizer use can be of neurological, integument, respiratory of nature as well as some eye irritations. Eye irritations include itching, tearing, and burning of the eyes. Symptoms of integumentary nature include itching of the skin, redness and rashes. Symptoms of neurological nature include dizziness, nausea and numbness of extremities. Farmers experience these symptoms and signs mainly because of lack of knowledge on the proper use, storage, and disposal of the chemicals. Respondents have admitted that they had never undergone any formal training on the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Methods of pest management are learned from acquaintances and other floriculture farmers in the community. Government line agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Plant Industry, have not initiated any training on pesticide and fertilizer application. Most farmers believe that using pesticides is the only way to protect their produce from pests. They use cocktails or mix different pesticides. Most farmers in Bahong lack knowledge on the bad effects of chemicals or attribute severe illness to pesticide use. They do not use the proper protective gear while using chemicals. This leads to unnecessary exposure to chemicals and possible health hazards. The lack of proper disposal of empty pesticide containers poses additional threat to farmers’ health and to the environment. Some dispose of pesticide containers with household garbage that puts them within the reach of children or stray animals.

6.2 Women issues

Women are active participants of the floriculture production. They are involved in all the activities, from pre-planting, crop maintenance, to harvesting. These women are equally at risk with men to ill effects of pesticide use. Women respondents reported nose irritations, dizziness and headaches when they are exposed to pesticides.

As owner-tillers, the women are severely affected by the non-profitability of their production. Low production income affects the spending capacity of the family. On regular months, small-scale producers gross less than 10,000 to 15,000 pesos per month. The income is allocated for both production and household expenses for the succeeding month. Because production needs are prioritized, the needs of the family are undermined and sacrificed. All the respondents were mothers and were responsible for the household budget. A household budget of 2,000 to 3,000 pesos for a four to five member family was reported. The bulk of the meager budget is spent on food and payment for utilities such as water and electricity. The families often experience shortage of money, especially for children’s education. Mothers carry the responsibility of finding ways to feed the family and providing for their day-to-day needs. Aside from working in their own gardens, the women work as labourers for other producers to earn an additional 120-150 pesos for a day’s work. Women in small-scale floriculture production experience double burden in performing both production and domestic responsibilities. In addition to providing unpaid labour for production, women perform everyday household chores.

6.3 Socio-economic Issues

Many small-scale cut flower producers have been severely affected by the entry of imported cut flowers in the Philippine Market. Farmers are burdened by high production cost because of expensive chemical inputs. The profitability of rose production has drastically declined affecting the income and thus the spending capacity of the families involved. Prior to 2002, roses are reportedly sold as high as 100 to 150 pesos per dozen, but today the regular price is only 25 pesos per bundle. Some reported instances where the price of a bundle of roses has dropped as low as 3 pesos.

Five years ago, a monthly capital of 3,000 pesos was required for about 500 square meters. Today, the same area of land requires an estimate of 10,000 pesos for operating capital. Profit from rose production has become very unstable. Because income is very unstable and production cost is continuous, there are times when household budget is used for production. To minimize production costs, the unpaid labour of

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family members is maximized. Additional daily wage workers are hired only in times of rush harvests. Many small-scale producers even experience loss.

Small-scale owner tillers who rely solely on cut flower production for income are worse than large-scale cut flower producers and those who have other stable sources of income. For example, Mr. Geston and Mr. Alvarez have larger and more stable income than Rose, Grace, Dominga and Lourdes. Although all of them are affected by the importation of flowers and high cost of production inputs, they are affected by these factors at different levels.

Even if Mr. Geston obtains low income from his cut flower production he can still depend on his vegetable production. Mr. Alvarez who operates on a larger production area and capital has a secure market hence he is not very much affected by the entry of imported flowers. Although Mr. Alvarez’ production requires a larger operating capital than small owner-tillers, this also provides a larger income. It is the small owner-tillers who do not grow other crops and have no market for their flowers who are most affected by socio-economic issues.

6.4 Government Intervention

The problems encountered by most of the cut flower growers are diagnosis and control of insect pests and diseases; constrained access to credit sources; limited access to new technology and planting materials; increasing costs of inputs; and the cut flower importation.

Cut flower growers perceive that their inability to diagnose the pests and diseases greatly affects their level of production. Growers see the need for both public and private agencies to conduct training activities and disseminate information on pest and disease management. Another problem of cut flower producers is financial support. Many growers have much difficulty in complying with all the terms of loans required by financial institutions. This includes collaterals, short grace periods, prohibitive interest

rates and other paper work. The few financial support entities from government agencies are biased to organizations. Most individual cut flower producers cannot access any support from these government-led financing programs. The third problem affecting producers is limited access to new technologies and plant materials. This factor affects the increase of the quality and quantity of production.

The fourth problem of flower growers is the increasing cost of inputs, particularly chemicals. Chemical usage is the most common approach to pest and disease management. The use of chemical pesticides decreases the earnings from production. Furthermore, floriculture workers’ exposure to pesticides causes adverse effects such as diseases and damage to the environment. Another major problem of growers is their inability to compete with imported cut flowers. The entry of cheap imported flowers has forced local producers to bring down their selling prices especially during peak seasons such as All Saint’s Day and Valentine’s Day (FLRD, 1993). Several small-scale producers have experienced reduced profit and even losses.

Both the National and the Local Government have been assertive in promoting the floriculture industry. Through the Department of Trade and Industry, the government has encouraged local and foreign investments. Since the 80’s the Philippine government has projected the viability of cut flower investments in the country (specially the Cordillera Region) through promotion campaigns such as the Panagbenga Festival or the flower Festival in Baguio. Millions worth of cut flowers are used during this event. However, only the large-scale floriculture producers like the King Louis farm are able to profit from the event because of the price and quantity of flowers demanded. Imported flowers brought in from Manila are also much cheaper than those locally produced by the small-scale farmers hence the activity does not benefit them at all.

Although there is an effort to project the floriculture industry, the government still fails to provide support to the farmers. Even with the relatively high contribution

Because imported flowers are much cheaper than those locally produced, the market price is dictated by the imports. Local producers are left without a choice....

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of this industry to the gross national income, the government still is not able to cater the pressing needs of the farmers. (In 1998 alone, DTI estimated the annual contribution of cut flower enterprises at Php961.52 million excluding at least Php128 million pesos contributed by the King Louis Flowers and Plants, Inc.) Floriculture farmers have identified the need for infrastructure support, training support, irrigation support, financial assistance and marketing support. However, floriculture industry and agriculture, in general, is not a priority of the local government and receives minimal support and attention.

6.5 Impacts of Cut Flower Importation

According to the Department of Trade and Industry, the country had resulted to importation of cut flowers because the local supply could not meet the growing demand especially during peak seasons. Importation policies are designed to facilitate the entry of foreign-produced cut flowers undermining local small-scale cut flower producers. The government cannot provide safety nets against importation for local producers. The price of cut flowers is determined by the level of demand and supply in the market. At present, there is no regulation for the ceiling or floor price of cut flowers. Because imported flowers are much cheaper than those locally produced, the market price is dictated by the imports. Local producers are left without a choice, but to reduce their prices even lower than their production costs. Accounts from flower growers proved that they are at a loss because of the unequal competition with imported cut flowers.

The unfair competition with imported flowers has led to the instability of income of our local growers. For growers who rely solely on their cut flower production, the importation of cut flowers has worsened their lives leaving them with an unstable source of livelihood.

6.6 Impacts on Food Security

The shift from food crop production to cut flower

production has threatened the food security of the people. Pioneers of floriculture production profited during the early years of the industry thereby luring many vegetable farmers into producing cut flowers instead of highland vegetables. Hectares of food producing land had been turned into green houses or planted with different cut flower varieties. In Benguet alone, a total of 1,159 hectares of agricultural land have been converted to floriculture production thereby decreasing the food supply of the population. Whereas farmers grew food crops that was both their source of income and food, their food security now depended on the income they could get from cut flower production. Availability of food depends on the availability of expendable cash, which is threatened in case of non-profitability or losses from cut flower production. The practice of trading crops for food between neighbours has also disappeared.

7 Summary and RecommendationsFloriculture is a relatively young industry in the Philippines. Starting in the 1960s, flowers have been grown to supply the needs of the domestic market, particularly the flower needs of hotels, restaurants, festivals and occasions such as weddings, funerals, Valentine’s Day, and All Saints’ Day. Numerous varieties of flowers are produced in the Philippines such as roses, chrysanthemums, anthuriums, etc. These are primarily grown in the cooler areas of the country like the mountainous Cordillera region in the north and in the island of Mindanao in the south.

The development thrusts of the Philippine government in the 1990s provided the impetus for the floriculture industry to flourish in the country. The Medium Term Philippine Development Plan encouraged the cultivation of high value crops such as flowers to supply the demand not only in the Philippines but in other Asian countries as well. The province of Benguet, in particular, was identified as a target area for greater floriculture development and increased production of cut flowers.

… For growers who rely solely on their cut flower production, the importation of cut flowers has worsened their lives leaving them with an unstable source of livelihood.

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The economic programs at the national level affected the floriculture industry at the local level. In the Cordillera, the 1990’s saw the rapid spread of flower growing among small gardeners in Benguet. Vegetable gardens were converted to flower gardens as small farmers perceived floriculture to be more profitable than vegetable production. The growth of the floriculture industry in Benguet saw the increase in the number of flower gardeners and in the area devoted to flower cultivation. Greenhouses were constructed by those with sufficient capital for a more controlled environment to ensure greater profits. Large-scale flower growing was initiated by the King Louis Farms, which made millions of pesos in profits from its flower production. Later, King Louis Farms ventured into contract-growing arrangements with local farmers. From centralized production, flower production was passed on to other landholders who started flower gardening in what used to be vegetable farms or idle forestland. King Louis Farms retained the technology and marketing of the flowers under the contract-growing arrangement.

However, majority of the flower producers in Benguet are still the small owner-tillers and small gardeners who grow flowers in their own backyards or small farms to support their day-to-day livelihood and survival.

The research looked into the specific conditions of the small-scale flower gardeners, particularly in Barangay Bahong, Benguet, which is where we find a relative concentration of flower growers. The findings of the case studies reveal that floriculture has not resulted in better socio-economic conditions for the producers. While flower growing proved to be profitable in the earlier stages of production during the 1980s, the incomes of flower gardeners are now decreasing and are barely sufficient to meet the families’ basic needs.

A significant development that adversely affected the incomes of small flower growers in Benguet is the increased importation of flowers from neighbouring Asian countries, which are cheaper than those that are locally produced. This has posed unfair competition to local producers and has resulted in falling prices of flowers, drastically lowering the incomes of the small gardeners.

The shift to floriculture and conversion of vegetable farms to flower gardens has affected the food security of the people.

The shift to floriculture and conversion of vegetable farms to flower gardens has also affected the food security of the people. Many now depend on their cash earnings from flower growing to buy food, unlike before where food crops grown could support the food needs of the family.

Other issues, which were looked into were the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and its impact on the people of Bahong. The heavy use of chemical inputs has adversely affected the health and environment in the community. The rising prices of these inputs have also resulted in rising production costs in floriculture, further cutting into the income of the small flower growers. Particularly affected are the women gardeners who apply these chemical inputs and who are also relied upon to work and feed the family. Government agencies have come in to provide support to flower growers in the form of loans, infrastructure support, training support, irrigation support, financial assistance and marketing support. However, based on the budget appropriation of the local government unit in La Trinidad, Benguet, the floriculture industry is not a priority concern. Agriculture in general is not a priority item in the local government’s budget. The flower gardeners feel that available government services and assistance for the floriculture industry are very insufficient and inaccessible to small producers.

The following recommendations are being forwarded towards improving the conditions of small flower gardeners.

• Bigger subsidies from the government for thedevelopment of floriculture are needed to assist small flower growers, increase their income, and lighten the burden of expensive production costs. Marketing and storage assistance are also needed by small growers.

• A program should be initiated to decrease theheavy use of chemical inputs by the farmers and to minimize its negative effects on the health and the environment. Organic methods of flower production should be promoted and taught to the people. Education and information campaigns on the ill-effects of chemical inputs, on the need for protective gear and on the proper disposal

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of chemicals are also needed by the people. The government should study proper zoning in areas of flower production to minimize exposure of the people and their families to the chemical inputs in flower production.

• Theparticularneedsofthewomenflowergrowersshould be addressed, particularly the negative impacts of floriculture on the health of women and children, and on the role of women in ensuring food security of the family.

• Cooperatives andorganizationsof flowergrowersshould be strengthened and supported to empower them to work for better conditions and liberate them from dictated prices and control of the production process.

• Government should review its developmentstrategy towards arriving at a proper balance between non-food and food production to consider the food security of the local community and small producers.

• Importation of flowers and liberalization ofagriculture should be stopped, and the country be freed from the dictates of the World Trade Organization.

References

Allad-iw, Arthur and Johnny Fialen. Benguet Farmers Besieged by Imported Flowers. Nordis Weekly. Nov. 2, 2003.

The particular needs of the women flower growers should be addressed, particularly the negative impacts of floriculture on the health of women and children, and on the role of women in ensuring food security of the family.

Anday, Jo-aan et al. Pesticide Survey, Sitio Sadag, Bahong, La Trinidad, Benguet. Unpublished, 2003.

Annual Investment Plan CY 2003. Municipality of La Trinidad, Benguet, 2003.

Bahong Socio-Economic and Physical Profile, 1998.

Bernardino Rosalie. Market Information Cut flowers in Gloom. 2002.

Boloico, Bombishazzar et al. Community Diagnosis, Sitio Anuding, Bahong, La Trinidad, Unpublished, 2003.

Cut Flower Industry Situationer Report. 1999.

Department of Tourism and Industry. Cordillera Cut Flower Industry. 2000.

Fabia, Brendell et al. Pesticide and Fertilizer Use in Central Bahong, La Trinidad, Benguet, Unpublished, May 2003.

Fialen, Johnny. Cut Flower Growers sa Benguet, Walang Kita Sa Panagbenga. Nordis Weekly. February 2, 2004.

Fialen, Johnny and Arthur Allad-iw. Benguet Cutflower Growers Besieged by Imported Cut Flowers. Nordis Weekly, October 28, 2003.

Foundation for Resource Linkage and Development, Inc. et al. Cut Flowers Marketing Systems in Major Production and Demand Areas of the Philippines. 1993.

Osis, Roderick. Cut Flower Sales Down During the All Saints’ Day. Skyland News. Nov. 9, 2003.

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Annex I:Informant’s Profile, Mr. Faustino G. Hermano, King Louis Farms Mr. Faustino G. Hermano finished his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in the University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Laguna in 1965. He taught at Mountain State Agricultural College (now Benguet State University) from 1968 to 1983. He availed of a scholarship and finished his Masters in Science with a major and minor in the fields of Plant Breeding and Genetics and Plant Pathology in 1972. In 1977 to 1983, he worked as part time technical consultant for the San Miguel Corporation. Also in 1977, he was sent by San Miguel Corporation to North Dakota University in the United States to study Breeding and Production of Barley for eight months. Barley is a cereal that is an essential ingredient in the production of beer. Mr. Hermano was the first person to introduce barley production in the Philippines.

In 1983 - 1998, he worked for King Louis Flowers and Plants, Inc. first, as a Technical Assistant and later, became the Technical Manager of the Farm. While at King Louis Farms he developed and perfected the technology of mum production. By 1993, he went to train in Holland on Lily Production for one month. The company who sponsored his training in Holland has a counterpart in the Philippines, the Federation of Cut Flower and Ornamental Plant Growers of the Philippines, Inc. (FCOPGP).

He was also a consultant on cut flower production at the Benguet State University (BSU) in 1996. He introduced the production technology of mums and later was called the “Father of Chrysanthemums” by BSU in 1997.

From 1996 to 2002, he was a part time consultant of Mr. Ongpin for his citrus fruits and flowers farm and for other farms like the Blooming Petals owned by the Mariano family in Tupi, South Cotabato, Mindanao, the Southern Bloom owned by Dr. Legaspi in Davao City, Mt. Matulom Cut Flower Farm owned by the Notre Dame religious order in South Cotabato and many small and large-scale farmers.

Mr. Hermano propagates planting materials of carnation, lilium and lisiantus. For carnation flower farmers who have no means of access and technology, he provides the seedlings on a package deal that farmers must strictly comply with. He provides the technology and monitors production until the flowers are harvested. He taught farmers how to make organic fertilizers with the use of micro-organisms and has established the market for their produce. He is also the founder of the Mt. Bloom Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Atok that seeks to help small farmers. The farmers now command the price of their produce and carnations are sold at Php80/dozen.

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Annex II:Commonly Used Fertilizers and Pesticides in Central Bahong

Commonly Used Fertilizers in Central Bahong (Fabia et al. 2003)

Fertilizer Active Ingredient Inactive Ingredient

Sagana NPK > 70, humus, hydrogen, nitrogen fixing bacteria, phosphatic stabilizing bacteria

Viking (Vikingship 16-16-16)

Nitrogen 16%, Phosphorous 16%, Potassium 16%

Magnesium 15%, Calcium 3.99%,Sulphur 0.71%, Iron 1000ppm, Manganese 500pm, Baron 200ppm, Zinc 150ppm, Copper 110ppm,Molybdenum 70ppm

Peters (Peters Professional)

Nitrogen 30%, Phosphorus 10%, Potash % Magnesium, Boron, Zinc, Molybdenum, Copper, Iron

Triple 16-20 Nitrogen 16%, Phosphorus 16%, Potash 16% Magnesium .15%, Calcium 3.99%, Sulfur .71%

Organic Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Organic Matter

Hikari

Urea

Triple 14

Triple 16

Triple 12

Calnitro Calcium 26.37%, Nitrogen 15.5%

Complesant

Siam Nitrogen 30%, Phosphoric Acid 10%, Soluble Potash 10%, Nitrogen 11%, Phosphorus 4%, Potash 6%

Magnesium, Boron, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Zinc

Crop Giant Nitrogen 15%, Phosphophosphate 15%, Potassium 15%

4600

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1700

Yasay Friendly Microoragnisms, Organic with natural trace elements

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List of Commonly Used of Pesticides in Central Bahong (Fabia et al. 2003)

Trade/Brand Name Active Ingredient Inactive Ingredient

Dithane M45 Mancozeb 800g/kg.

Magnum 5EC Cyphermethrin 50g/L Aromatic solvent (xylene) 850g/L, Emulsifier 150g/L

Selectron 500EC Profenefos 500g/L Emulsifier 150g/L

Bolt Cartap 500g/kg.

Lannate Methomyl 400g/kg

Tamaron Methamidophos 600g/LDiethyleneglycol 338g/L

Trigard Cyromazine 750g/kg.

Corsair Permethrin 50g/L Xylene solvent 950g/L

Cymbush 5EC Cypermethrin 50g/L Aromatic Solvent and oil 850g/L, Emulsifier 100 g/L

Agri-mek 1.8EC Avermectin 180g/L, Hexanol 268.8g/L

2787 Doconyl 75 WP Chlorothalonil 750g/kg

Vegetox Cartap 500g/kg

Basodin 400EC Diazinon 400g/L Xylene as solvent, Emulsifier and Stabilizer 600g/L

Vitigram Blue Copper Oxychloride 580g/kg Inert 420g/kg

Anthracol WG70 Propeneb 700g/kg

Karate Lambdacyhalothrin 25g/L

Karate with Zeon Technology

Lambdacyhalothrin Lambdacyhalothrin 25g/L, Dispersing agent +stabilizer 530 g/L

Matador 600 Metamidophos 600g/L Isoprppyl Alcohol as solvent 307g/L

Decis 2.5 EC Deltametrin 25g/L Xylene as the solvent 965g/L

IVA Cyclone Cypermethrin 50g/L Solvent 850g/L, Emulsifier 100g/L

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