Floral Revolution: A Future Transformation Journey of Oncidium Cut Flower Packaging Facilities!

YOU,PEI-RU（China Productivity Center Agricultural Innovation Department I）

Oncidium, native to Central and South America, is a sympodial epiphytic orchid with slender, branched flower spikes that bear numerous small blossoms. When in full bloom, they resemble a group of young girls in fluffy skirts dancing gracefully in the wind, earning them the nicknames "Dancing Orchid" and "Dancing Lady." Introduced to Taiwan from Thailand for trial cultivation in 1986, Oncidium has been grown here for over 30 years. Its cut flower varieties are predominantly golden yellow, making them a popular choice for event decorations due to their charming appearance and vibrant colors. It is now one of Taiwan’s leading exported cut flowers, with Japan being the primary export market, accounting for over 95% of total exports.

In recent years, the Oncidium industry has faced numerous challenges, particularly following the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. The suspension of ceremonial gatherings, reduced flight schedules, shipping delays, and global commercial disruptions severely impacted the flower market. A decline in floral demand, soaring transportation costs, rising raw material prices, and the depreciation of the Japanese yen all contributed to a drop in Oncidium’s export value and profitability for the industry. Among these challenges, severe global shipping delays posed significant threats to the freshness and quality of Oncidium cut flowers.

To address these challenges, China Productivity Center (CPC) undertook the project of "Oncidium Export Industry Upgrade and Project Management" from 2022 to 2023, commissioned by the Department of International Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture. The core objective was to establish a stable production and marketing system through consistent quality and quantity management at production and packaging facilities, ensuring a reliable supply of high-quality Oncidium cut flowers.

The stable quality and quantity and diversified market distribution for Oncidium exports require a comprehensive evaluation of the roles played by production sites, export packaging facilities, and export traders. This project focuses on the export packaging facilities, implementing a three-phase approach—resource inventory, diagnostics, and in-depth guidance—to establish standardized packaging management regulations and procedures, thereby minimizing the likelihood of poor-quality exports.

By implementing standardized packaging management regulations and procedures, the project aims to enhance grading standards and management systems of the assisted packaging facilities, ensuring consistent quality of Oncidium cut flowers and strengthening export competitiveness. During the 2022–2023 project period, a total of 34 cut flower packaging facilities were assessed, with the findings summarized in the table below.

Overall, Taichung City dominates in terms of the number of cut flower packaging facilities, cultivation area, and export volume, highlighting the importance of Taichung as a production region in the Oncidium cut flower industry. Its large scale and strong production capacity provide a solid foundation for the entire industry.

Based on the outcomes of this project, here are our recommendations for the future development of the packaging facilities:

First, a standardized workflow is key to ensuring better quality control of cut flowers. Establishing and implementing standardized processes—including temperature and humidity control as well as procedures for responding to weather changes—will help unify and effectively address potential issues across different packaging facilities. Furthermore, clear management guidelines and standardized procedures will improve operational consistency among workers.

Second, monitoring technology is a crucial factor in improving production efficiency. The adoption of advanced temperature and humidity monitoring technologies, along with humidity controllers in cold storage rooms, will help reduce flower losses and maintain product quality throughout the handling process. Real-time monitoring and environmental adjustments can significantly minimize adverse impacts on flowers, thereby enhancing their market competitiveness.

Third, a precise loss-tracking system is fundamental to effective improvements. By systematically recording flower losses and analyzing client complaints, packaging facilities can identify the root causes of quality issues and use data-driven insights to optimize processes.

In summary, packaging facilities should conduct regular assessments and adjustments to their operational procedures to ensure effective response to real-world demands, particularly in adapting to climate change. Additionally, clarifying the responsibilities of packaging facilities regarding cut flower losses and fostering stronger collaboration with farmers will help establish an efficient working relationship based on mutual trust, reducing losses and improving flower quality.

Other critical aspects for improvement include workforce management and training, operational efficiency and quality control, data analysis and decision-making, as well as diversification and collaboration.

These include implementing the TWI-JI (Training Within Industry – Job Instruction) method for effective workforce training, establishing standard operating procedures to enhance quality management, utilizing data analysis to improve workflow efficiency, expanding production sources and partnering with educational institutions to advance cultivation techniques, and providing internships and structured training programs to build a skilled workforce.

Finally, for future development, we propose several specific recommendations which include standardization of operational processes and management, talent cultivation and workforce management, adoption of smart technologies and innovation, application of data analytics for decision-making, improvement of facilities and workflow adjustments, and implementation of energy-saving and carbon reduction measures. These recommendations aim to enhance the operational efficiency and quality management of the packaging facilities while aligning it more closely with global trends in energy conservation and carbon reduction.

In summary, through the implementation of these recommendations, packaging facilities are expected to continue improvement and innovation, ensuring its competitiveness in a highly competitive market while achieving long-term sustainable development.