Lam Dong (VNS/VNA) -Despite being renowned for high quality flowers, the Central Highlands provinceof Lam Dong still faces problems such as poor storage and lack of new, highquality seeds that hinder its ability to satisfy domestic demand.

Lam Dong is the largest flower producer in Vietnam,supplying three billion branches per year, or 50 percent of the country’soutput, accounting for 40 percent of the country’s flower growing area.

The province’s net houses and glasshouses, whichimprove flower growing, cover a total of 2,000ha.

However, most of the high-value flowers in the city areimported. The country imported 18 million USD of flowers for Lunar New Year2018.

A representative from the Da Lat FlowerAssociation said that many local age-old flowers had degraded in quality, andmany have no copyright.

Universities and research facilities have not beenable to satisfy demands for cross breeding and development of new flower types,according to the association.

The province, despite being famous for flowergrowing, has to buy seeds from other sources to grow high quality flowers, andVietnamese regulations on importing new seeds are riddled with complicatedprocedures, leading to a lack of new seeds.

Only a number of foreign companies have largefarming areas and are able to use modern machinery. In addition, farmers do notconduct market research on demand or price, and have to rely on intermediaries.

Nguyen Van Bao, Director of Dalat Hasfarm Co.Ltd (specialising in fresh flowers), said that most farmers still packedharvested flowers into small bundles, stored them in carton boxes, andtransported them by truck, which can dry and damage flowers.

Technologies to store flowers for exporting areimportant. A lack of standards for domestic flowers results in inconsistentquality, the association said.

With a 15 percent annual growth in floweroutput, the Lam Dong flower industry has far more advantages compared to otherprovinces, and its flowers are popular in foreign markets such as Japan, Taiwanand China. Its export potential is still promising, the association noted.

Better cooperation is needed between businesses,the state, researchers and farmers, experts said. More policies to helpbusinesses import new seeds as well as support for technologies and in tax andland matters are also important.

In addition, farmers should be encouraged towork with co-operatives and businesses to improve competitiveness.

Lam Dong is working with the Japan InternationalCooperation Agency to build a flower trading centre in Da Lat, which wouldallow for the transaction of 2.5 million flower branches on peak days. It willalso provide better flower storage and improve transparency and trust betweenbuyers and sellers.-VNS/VNA