Should Vietnam export fresh flowers?

The forecast that Vietnam would become a leading flower export center in Asia mentioned in a Japanese journal has raised a debate about the potential of Vietnam in exporting fresh flower.

Should Vietnam export fresh flowers?

With ideal conditions in soil and climate, Vietnam in general and Lam Dong province in particular is considered the ‘golden land’ for developing tropical and temperate flowers.

The favorable conditions have helped attract more and more foreign investors to Lam Dong province. They have developed growing areas, provided cultivation technique and helped establish distribution centers. 

“Vietnam can grow flowers for export. But whether Vietnam can export flowers is quite another story,” said Tran Huy Duong, director of Langbiang Farming Company, chair of the Da Lat City’s Floral Association.

Vietnamese farmers can grow flowers with high quality which can satisfy the requirements of consumers, while investors are willing to transfer technology and provide capital. 

The forecast that Vietnam would become a leading flower export center in Asia mentioned in a Japanese journal has raised a debate about the potential of Vietnam in exporting fresh flower.

Da Lat City in Lam Dong province is not the only suitable area for growing flowers. 

Hanoi, Hai Phong, Sa Pa and Mekong River Delta are all the areas which grow flowers with high yield and high quality, competitive with flowers from other ‘flower metropolises’ in the world. 

“This depends on the state’s policies,” Duong said. “Does the state consider flowers as a major export item? You need to know the answer to the question first, and then discuss what flowers to be grown for export and what to do to export flowers.”

“It seems that local authorities ‘forget’ about flowers. They focus on encouraging the cultivation of vegetables and fruits,” Duong added.

Duc Trong and Don Duong districts in Lam Dong are the areas with ideal conditions for flower cultivation. However, only Japanese investors want to grow flowers there. “As such, Vietnamese now work for Japanese investors on their home ground,” Duong commented.

In Da Lat, which is called the ‘flower metropolis’ of Vietnam, flowers are grown on an area of 7,800 hectares with the output of 2.5 billion branches a year. However, only 10 percent of the output can be exported.

The Lam Dong provincial People’s Committee has vowed to take action to help farmers grow and export flowers. A workshop was organized within the framework of the Da Lat Flower Festival which took place from December 29, 2015 to January 2, 2016 to discuss solutions to boost exports.

In December 2015, the Da Lat Flower Association and Goyang International Flower Association signed an MOU on cooperation. Prior to that, the Lam Dong provincial authorities and JICA agreed on the building of a wholesale flower market in Da Lat in accordance with the OTA Market in Japan.

Khoa Le

Source: Vietnam Net