Project Name：Project to Strengthen Capacity for Commercial Production of Orchids

Project status：Projects in Operation

Cooperating Country：Paraguay

Project Description：

The Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Government of Paraguay cooperated on the Orchid Industry Development and Tissue Culture Plantlet Propagation Project (Paraguay) in 2015 and the Agricultural Science and Technology Research Institute (IPTA) now produces more than 50,000 Phalaenopsis tissue culture plantlets in a year. This project continues on the foundation of the previous project and aims to promote the commercial production of the orchid industry in Paraguay. The content of the project includes:
1. In terms of promotion: The project will select five orchid producers to conduct Phalaenopsis flowering and cultivation according to the conditions of the producers’ facilities, capabilities and willingness, while the other producers will support the cultivation of Oncidium.
2. In terms of cultivation management, optimize the nursery and flowering process while improving the old greenhouse to increase production capacity.
3. In market development, the project will strengthen the demonstration function of the exhibition and sales center in San Lorenzo. Besides, the project will expand the existing flower market in Paraguay ($12 to $15 million) and conduct a market survey to understand the dynamics of the flower market in Paraguay.
4. Continue to stabilize the production technology of the meristem plantlet in the country and also introduce a good orchid mother plant to enrich the gene bank.

To watch the video made by the TaiwanICDF:
Felicidad Floreciente - Proyecto de Apoyo a la Producción Comercial de Orquídeas en Paraguay

Implementation Start Date：2019-04-01

Implementation End Date：2022-03-31

Project Objectives：

1. Strengthen the cultivation techniques of the flower production center at Caacupé.
2. Assist flower farmers to improve the quality and yield.
3. Cultivate 30,000 flowering Phalaenopsis plants for the domestic market in Paraguay.

Executing Agency：

Taiwan Technical Mission in the Republic of Paraguay / Extension Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Paraguay) /  Agricultural Science and Technology Research Institute (Paraguay)

Current Progress：

As of Septemeber 2021, the following activities have been completed:
1. Produced 130,955 plantlets of tissue culture of orchids, 101,663 plantlets of 2.5 inches of Phalaenopsis and 79,972 plants of flowering Phalaenopsis.
2. Completed for 11 orchid training courses.
3. Completed activities of orchid marketing promotion 11 times.
4. Produced and sold of 18,642 dozen of Oncidium cut flowers and 45,951 pots of Oncidium potted flowers.
5. To assist the Taiwan Sugar Corporation in the large-scale Taiwan orchids exhibition held in Paraguay in May 2019, including completing the import procedures of orchid plants, assisting in customs clearance, resettlement in greenhouses and care, assisting in the negotiation Orchid Exhibition venues, and the information on the machine tools and materials required for the exhibition.
6. Completed 3 orchid exhibitions.
7. completed International Course on Oncidium cultivation, classification and packing by Taiwan expert with a period of two weeks.
8. Completed 2 orchid cultivation demonstrations.
9. Complete 1 Oncidium Cut Flower classification and packing Site.
10 .Completed 1,000 square meters of nursery for Oncidium cultivation.
11. Completed a report of research of 2019 and 2020 on the Paraguay flower market.
12. Completed the renovation of a Phalaenopsis greenhouse for stimulating flowering with an area of 204.8 square meters.
13. Completed 2 oncidium simple greenhouses with an area of 240 square meters.
14. Air shipment of high-level Phalaenopsis plants to Paraguay began in September 2020, with a total of 6,955 plants till December. As of September 2021, 6,215 high-level Phalaenopsis flowering plants were produced.

Project Contact：Ken Hua Chang

Phone：886-2-28732323 Ext.218

E-mail：k.h.chang@icdf.org.tw

Projected Benefits：Establish the production system and expand the consumer base. At the end of the project, the annual sales amount increases to US$500,000.

Mission：Taiwan Technical Mission in the Republic of Paraguay