A Blooming Industry in Kaohsiung／高雄蘭花產業
A Blooming Industry in Kaohsiung
◎English translation: Peng Hsin-yi
◎Photos by Lin Yu-en
Taiwan's orchids frequently take top prizes at international competitions and are displayed at flower exhibitions worldwide. There are several influential Phalaenopsis orchid growers in the region, which are situated in the Meinung, Daliao and Shanlin Distracts; oncidum orchid growers situate in Daliao, Neimen and Cishan District. These Taiwanese flower farmers travel around the world, going to shows after shows to compete with orchid growers in many other countries. However famous they may be, they still consider every order to be a hard-earned reward. Phalaenopsis Industry leader SOGO Team Co., Ltd. is located in Meinung and has the reputation of being a prominent international player in orchid horticulture.
※From Hobbyist to Leading Supplier of Phalaenopsis Seedlings
Mr. Feng Chiang-Kuei is the CEO of SOGO Team Co., Ltd. and believes growing Phalaenopsis orchid is a business of infinite potential. His goals for SOGO are not just to profit, but also to expand its global operations. He describes orchid growers in the Netherlands as entrepreneurs that grow with scientific precision and impeccable professionalism. While he is eager to catch up with them, he also understands the importance of making small and steady steps of progress rather than failing with a large leap. Over 28 years SOGO has grown from a small Phalaenopsis seedling supplier to a major international wholesaler of several thousand different types of Phalaenopsis. In 2011, SOGO sold 8.5 million seedlings and brought in 250 million NT (about 13.5 million USD) in revenue. Orchid production is a long journey, from the time an order is placed, it takes 5 years to cultivate an eligible orchid seedling and 10 years before they can be sold as merchandise. The most astonishing fact is that this slow paced, time consuming horticulture depends on exact timing.
Mr. Feng is self-taught and started out as a hobbyist. In 1989, he founded SOGO Team Co., Ltd. and turned his passion into a formal business. People who grow orchids as a hobby are attracted to the flower's abundant variations and combinations. The Phalaenopsis are his main focus because its growth cycle is predictable and can be produced in large volumes, making it lucrative merchandise. Their cycle is so precise, growers can guarantee the date the flowers will bloom and therefore be customized down to the number of stems, with the exact number of flowers on each of them. They also exhibit longevity and can be kept alive for over a month.
◎The Breakthrough
Mr. Feng's first international triumph came in 2001 when he went to Netherlands to attend the Horti Fair. His unique flowers brought about abundant orders and his company grew substantially. Over the next 15 years, his business expanded tenfold, with approximately 250 new types of phalaenopsis tested per year. He explains they are always on the lookout for new space, so they can continue expanding operations.
◎Miniature Phalaenopsis with a Big Success
In 2007, SOGO internationally rolled-out a whole new array of miniature Phalaenopsis. The flowers came in a plethora of colors, including mixed varieties and made SOGO-Phalaenopsis one of the most well-known names in the industry. The creative horticulture not only made them famous but also led their entry into the European market. The miniatures only need a pot of 5.5 centimeters in diameter (about 2.16 inches). Each flower produces two to three stems full of miniatures. Miniatures reach maturity faster than larger flowers and enjoy the same longevity. These characteristics make it an ideal flower for brightening up small spaces.
◎Strategizing for Success
Ninety percent of SOGO's business comes from overseas, with customers from Denmark, Germany, United States, Switzerland, and Japan. Although the Netherlands still dominate ninety percent of the industry, Mr. Feng is very impressed with Dutch standards and quality. The Dutch have specific qualifications, such as the acceptable number of stems per plant, lengths of each stem and the number of flowers per stem. A flower is disqualified if it fails to meet the specifications. Mr. Feng decided to work with countries around the Netherlands, in order to develop a good reputation in the European market and lower his investment risk. This resulted in more customers seeking out SOGO on their own accord. They have also developed partnerships with flower farmers in Europe, which will allow easier and more accurate communication. The farmers he deals with are large, established growers, with an average net worth of over 50 million Euros. However, Mr. Feng Chiang-Kuei points out that although his primary focus is the international market, SOGO's R&D lab and quality control units still maintain in Taiwan. In the future, SOGO plans to establish a greenhouse that will match the standards and requirements of clients, in Europe. However, before this can be done, the flower will have to be put through a series of tests in order cultivate the best product that does well in the European growing conditions. This will make the company more competitive and more convenient for customers. SOGO will continue to introduce beautiful orchid to the whole world.
高雄蘭花產業
◎文／侯雅婷
◎攝影／林育恩
每隔一段時間就會傳來台灣蘭花於國際花展大放異彩的消息，但經營這美麗的蘭花業可是一點也不輕鬆！背後是許多台灣商人拎著公事包、帶著樣品到國外設攤參展，在各國夾殺中，開疆闢土。高雄蝴蝶蘭產業遍及美濃、大寮和杉林地區，文心蘭則集中於大寮、內門和旗山地區，而美濃的「世芥蘭業」在蝴蝶蘭產業更扮演領頭羊的角色。
※ 蝴蝶蘭種苗供應的領頭羊─世芥蘭業
世芥蘭業執行長馮將魁表示，他將蝴蝶蘭當成企業化經營的事業而不僅只是農業！更精確說，馮將魁是以使命般的心態來經營這份事業，他念茲在茲的對手是荷蘭於蘭花產業無可挑剔的專業以及無與倫比的龐大規模經營，難得的是馮將魁仍不躁進，按部就班地將世芥蘭業蝴蝶蘭基礎打穩，再求發展。世芥蘭業如今站穩腳步，成為專業的蝴蝶蘭種苗供應商，至目前為止，成功商業化量產的蝴蝶蘭達數千種。2011年，世芥蘭業年營業額新台幣4億元，出口種苗數量約850萬株。蝴蝶蘭的產程很長，從接到客戶的需求單，到培育出新品種須花5 年的光景，而正式供應須花10年的時間，令人訝異的是，馮將魁經營他口中這「活的農業」，即蝴蝶蘭事業全憑「精準」！
馮將魁以自學的方式從育種開始進入蘭花產業，1989年創立世芥蘭業。他說剛開始從事育種的人，都會被蘭花色彩豐富的變化所吸引，但在蘭花中，僅蝴蝶蘭適合被商業化生產，
原因不外乎蝴蝶蘭能被生產者精確安排開花的時間、分叉株數，乃至於開花朵數；此外，蝴蝶蘭的花期較長，如放置於辦公室開花期可達1 個月，這些都是蝴蝶蘭的競爭優勢。
◎初試啼聲
馮將魁在2001年參加荷蘭國際花卉園藝展（Horti Fair），馮將魁與眾不同的蝴蝶蘭品種讓敏銳的種苗供應商眼睛一亮，接踵而至的訂單讓馮將魁體會到「他(產量)還太小！」自此世芥蘭業積極擴充產量。馮將魁說，在過去15年間世芥蘭業成長了10 倍，每年約有250個新品種進入產地試種，迄今仍持續的找地、擴充廠房。
◎迷你花系列蔚為風潮
2007年，世芥蘭業率先開發出一系的迷你花，繽紛多彩的白色、紅色、粉紅色、黃色、橘色以及雜色(novelty)上市歐洲市場佳評如潮，也讓世芥蘭業聲名遠播。迷你花因盆徑約為5.5公分，且有2~3個分叉，開滿了迷你型的蝴蝶蘭花，不但縮短生產期且花期與一般的蝴蝶蘭一樣可達1 個月，非常具市場競爭力，適合置放於會議桌等精緻空間，帶來滿室璀璨。
◎行銷策略
馮將魁分析世芥蘭業國外客戶佔營業額九成，遍及丹麥、德國、美國、瑞士和日本等國。歐洲花卉市場中，荷蘭佔90％，但是馮將魁以bloody來形容荷蘭人對於蝴蝶花業的敏銳和專業，荷蘭人打造花卉王國絕非浪得虛名，以蝴蝶蘭而言，嚴格規定花梗長度、分叉支數、需開幾朵花，稍有缺失立即被列入不合格品，世芥蘭業的因應之道是與荷蘭周邊各國做生意，建立商譽之餘，也可分擔投資風險，同時吸引更多專業種苗商前來洽談合作意願。世芥蘭業選擇直接與歐洲專業農民交易，避免轉手溝通的落差，馮將魁口中的專業農民，投資金額均超過5千萬歐元。
馮將魁表示，世芥蘭業目前的種苗在台研發以及進行栽培管理，但由於海外為主要市場地，未來世芥蘭業如果能在當地選種、實地施種，與買主溫室管理標準一致，將可提昇世芥蘭業種苗的國際競爭力。
未來，世芥蘭業將會繼續把來自於台灣的美麗蝴蝶蘭品種，帶到全世界！
Wu Taihe's Jiuhe Orchid Garden
Mr. Wu Taihe is the owner of Jiuhe Orchid Garden and a domestic wholesaler located in Daliao. Juhe specializes in medium and mature orchids. It is located in a 300 Ping (a quarter of an acre) greenhouse. The greenhouse is equipped with atmosphere monitors, fans and water walls that keep the temperature between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius (77 to 86 Fahrenheit). Heating pipes run underground, keeping it warm during the winter. Mr. Wu believes the greenhouse is the perfect size for his wife and himself. As a husband and wife team, they keep their flowers well-tended and maintain a steady output. It is a well-established, quality business and therefore serves as model for other small orchid growers.
吳泰和的久和蘭園
大寮區吳泰和的久和蘭園專營內銷市場，以栽植高品質的蝴蝶蘭中苗和大苗建立口碑，300坪溫室園區自動調節溫濕度，夏天溫室維持在25～30度之間，架設風扇及水牆降溫，冬季則透過暖氣輸送管 ，輸送暖氣。吳泰和說，300坪的園區，對他和太太而言，是剛剛好的工作量，吳泰和栽植的中苗和大苗長得很健康、外觀很漂亮，再加上出貨率穩定 ，堪稱是小型蝴蝶蘭苗業的典範。
The Lemon Heart Oncidium
The Lemon Heart Oncidium is a genus of orchid that is from Japan. In 2006, Daliao and Chutian, in Pingtong County partnered in becoming wholesalers of Lemon Heart Oncidiums, said Mr. Hong jinlong, the foreman of the 2nd Work Crew of Daliao District Orchid Production Division. Popular oncidium in the Japanese market, the Taiwanese growers have found ways to adjust Lemon Heart's flowering season to October, when the flowers are in greatest demand. Mr. Hong describes the most important elements for its growth is proper sunlight and being protected by screened greenhouses. Oncidiums are grown for export and are mostly delivered as cut flowers. Grade A flowers stems must be at least ninety centimeters (35.5 inches) and have at least seven branches. When Oncidiums dangle in the breeze, they resemble dancing faeries, which has earned them the nickname "Dancing Lady Orchid".
大寮蘭業的新星─檸檬綠文心蘭
台灣在2006年自日本引進暢銷日本市場的檸檬綠文心蘭，大寮區蘭花產業銷二班班長洪金龍談起，大寮蘭花產銷班與屏東竹田攜手合作開闢日本市場，配合日本市場需求，開花季調整至10月。洪金龍表示，網室栽種文心蘭能提供文心蘭最需要的充足的日照，而外銷的文心蘭多為切花使用，外銷A級的檸檬綠文心蘭，其長度為90公分，一株有7個分叉，風吹過來，文心蘭在風中搖曳，因而贏得跳舞蘭的美名。