2007 Taipei International Flower Exhibition, which was organized by Taiwan Floriculture Development Association and floriculture industry groups under the direction of the Council of Agriculture, commenced with all pomp and solemnity at the morning of Oct. 31 in Hall I of Taipei World Trade Center. President Chen graced the commencement ceremony with his presence and he encouraged the flower growers to persist in their efforts to develop new varieties and improve their technology so as to lift up the level of floriculture industry to match that of the international level. The exhibition, whose contents are professionalized and diversified, is immensely worthy of a visit. COA and floriculture industry groups believe that this exhibition makes it possible for Taiwan-grown flowers to reach a higher plane and gain an international renown. And they are more confident than ever before that the export volume this year will reach an exhilarating amount of 100 million US dollars, exceeding that of 78 million US dollars last year. COA invited people cordially to pay a visit to this exhibition, joining hands in bearing witness to the fruits of the development of Taiwan floriculture industry.

COA indicated that Taiwan floriculture industry has made huge progress due to the following factors: the clemency of the climate in Taiwan suitable for flower growing, sophisticated and advanced technology, industrious flower growers together with a series of counseling measures, including government-planned areas devoted to flower growing, the push for floriculture using facilities, the establishment of expert groups offering technological services, the laying down of regulations of production and management, the setting up of a modernized transportation and marketing system and an aggressive incursion and expansion into the international market. The growing area amounted to 9,661 hectares in 1995 with the overall output value approximating 9 billion NT dollars, while the overall growing area has increased to 13,375 hectares in 2006 with the overall output value equal to 12.5 billion NT dollars, that is to say, both the area and overall output value increased by 40 percent. At the same time, the export volume of flowers augmented with the years. In 1995, when an international flower exhibition was held, the export volume of flowers amounted to 9.7 million US dollars, while in 2006, it surged to 78 million US dollars. Over the 11-year period, the output value grew eightfold, especially that of intricate flowers like Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum and Cymbidium, which have succeeded in making the global market and made of Taiwan a big exporter of Phalaenopsis seedlings in the world, winning Taiwan the reputation of “the kingdom of Phalaenopsis” in the international community. .

COA indicated that this exhibition is a combination of display of floral works, floral arrangement performance and commercial trading activities, therefore, it is characterized by diversification and is invested with professionalized and abundant contents. In order to demonstrate the high quality and the characteristic of abundant varieties of Taiwan-grown flowers, the organizers went out of their way to establish theme-image booth area, where flowers primarily grown for exportation and mainstay flowers are used as materials to demonstrate the beauty of Taiwan-grown flowers by means of artistic and environment-creating designs. Besides, since Taiwan has long enjoyed the reputation of the kingdom of orchids, the organizers of this exhibition set aside a booth area to display intricate orchids and invited the experts from American Orchid Association to conduct an evaluation of them. The prize-winning floral works in each contesting group will be displayed with pride and honor right before your eyes. There are also booth areas for flower arrangement performance, in which the display of original flower arrangement works and stage performance are combined to present a dynamic and diversified flower show so that the exhibition will present itself as an international flower exhibition comprising both static display and dynamic activities.

COA expressed their special thanks to Holland, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia floral industries for their intricate and ingenious efforts to make use of their indigenous flowers and cultures to set up national pavilions to enrich the exhibition contents and make it more splendid, enabling people here in Taiwan to learn about the floral cultures and arts of different countries.

COA stressed once again that it has been 12 years since Taiwan held an integrated international flower exhibition last. In order to take initiatives to promote the communication and interaction between the floriculture industry in Taiwan and those in the international community, domestic floriculture industry groups were all mobilized to organize 2007 Taipei International Flower Exhibition, which eventually emerged on the stage of World Trade Center for the first time in 12 years to present itself right before the eyes of the people here in Taiwan with all pomp and solemnity. This exhibition not only makes it possible for people from around the world to appreciate the intricate and high-quality flowers grown in Taiwan, but it makes it possible to increase the opportunities of international trading and communication, thereby providing dynamism for a continuous growth and thriving of Taiwan’s flower exportation.

COA called on the people to pay a visit with a delightful heart from November 1 through 4 to take part in this floral gala and take concrete actions to encourage and support the hard-working flower producers and marketers so that the floriculture industry is able to retain its worldwide renown and create even greater profits.