Tuesday, October 07, 2008 Industry can't meet demands for flowers
THERE is an increasing demand for flowers in both local and international markets, but the floriculture industry in Davao City is striving hard to meet the needed production.
Evelyn Laviña, trustee of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII) and officer of the Floriculture Industry Development Inc. (Fidi) in Monday's edition of the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao, said the industry can only meet the market's demand if they are informed about six months before the products are needed.
"Cost of inputs is one of the identified problems; the cost of fertilizers is very high. Last year, there was an order from Indonesia, but we were not able to supply it," Laviña said, adding that the industry cannot cope with large orders.
"We know we can produce, but we just need time," she said.
Laviña also said the floriculture industry has 120 members in Davao City, adding that majority of the investors are into subdivision and resorts who use plants and flowers for landscaping.
Meanwhile, Laviña said there is a decrease in the production of flowers this year due to climate change.
"Our rainfall is different, our wind now is also different; the production is really affected. Today, we encounter burn spots on plants' leaves. We did not encounter it before," she said.
Adolfo Cañete, officer of the Flori-Agri Sector, revealed that the decrease in the production can also be attributed to the shift of planters to banana tissue culture activity.
Laviña and Cañete both said that they want the industry to be recognized as an income generating industry.
"Fidi is not that well-known. We want the industry to be also recognized as a money earner for the economy. There's still a lot of small players in the industry which also need to be organized," Cañete concluded. (JGRS)
