ORCHID PRODUCTION
AND BUSINESS IN BANGLADESH
SUBMITTED BY
MD. SIDDIQUE ALAM
MS STUDENT
REG. NO.- 2004-08-1421
DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE
A part of the paper
...........................................................................................................................................
Present Status of Orchid business
in Bangladesh (5.5.2009):
Business figure of orchid in Bangladesh is very poor and not
organized. Flower trade has become a thriving business. So there is a great scope of orchid business
in the local market as well as foreign market for economic profitability. At present different NGOs and private nurseries fortunately have
been producing orchids for commercial purposes in the country using their own
technology which needs to be accelerated.
Ecologically Bangladesh is in the positive direction of producing
enormous flowering plants, which we used to observe in six different seasons. A
good number of orchids are also found to grow in different areas of the
country. It indicates that the agro-climatic condition of Bangladesh is blessed
for growing many of the flowering and ornamental plants particularly orchids.
Fulfilling the national demand of orchid cut flower, the country could enter
into the foreign market for economic profitability. The local market for
flowers in Bangladesh has quickly developed. From basically non existing ten
years ago, local trade in flowers has become a thriving business. Even though
not available from local production, demand for orchids has developed quite
rapidly. In order to satisfy this need. several companies has started to import
orchid cut flower and pot plants from Thailand on a regular basis.
The business figure through orchids in Bangladesh is very poor. At
present some NGOs are already involved in orchid business among them BRAC and
PROSHIKA, are remarkable. Some other NGOs and Nursery as Kingshuk, Krishibid
Uddyan and Upakaran Nursery, Dipto Orchids, Badhan etc engaged with orchid
business.
BRAC: There is a tissue culture lab at Joydebpur in Gazipur. At Fulpur
BRAC has a farm of orchid multiplication. 20 of farmers are engaged for this
purpose. BRAC imported orchids from Thailand and after multiplication here sold
in market.
PROSHIKA: There is a well-established tissue culture Lab. At Koitta in
Manikganj. At present they are working on micropropagation of ornamental plants
along with orchids. They sold their orchid seedling to different nursery.
Kingshuk: This nursery mainly buy orchids seedling from PROSHIKA. After
multiplication these seedling in their own nursery at Saver they sold it in the
market after 2-3 months. At present this nursery has about 50,000 both
seedlings blooming pot. Monthly income from only orchids 8000-10,000 taka.
HORTEX: This organization directly related with the exports of orchid and
other ornamental plants. Export of orchids along with other flowers to Italy in
the month of August 2003 by M/S Bay of Bengal Enterprise under HORTEX promotional
scheme is shown in the following table.
Table 2. Flowers wise export
to Italy is shown below
Sl.
No.
|
Name
of flower
|
Export (in kg.)
|
1
|
Tuberose
|
300
|
2
|
Gladiolus
|
120
|
3
|
Orchid
|
27
|
Total
|
447
|
( Source: HORTEX, Newsletter, Volume 3. Number 3. July- September-2003)
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
Development of new varieties
through research from the local and exotic collections is necessary.
2.
Small and large scale
nurseries should be established in public and private sectors with trained
nurserymen and proper production facilities.
3.
Initiatives should be taken
to expand local market and to enter into international flower market.