Capiz, Philippines, Asia cut foliage and cut flowers
Background
Following the collapse of the shrimp industry in the mid-1980s, an interesting industry slowly emerged in the early 1990s as dynamic and aggressive women entrepreneurs turned their expensive hobby into a profitable and enjoyable multi-million dollar “lonely” industry. This paved the way for the birth of the Flower Industry in the Province of Capiz. From a little-known industry, it grew to become one of the rapidly expanding agro-industrial sectors in the province that today involves more than 5,000 stakeholders, florists, landscapers, contractors, technologists, input suppliers, agricultural technicians, and gardeners.
Capiz is a major producer of potted and cut orchids, garden materials, fresh foliage and potted ornamentals throughout Visayas. It is also recognized as one of the sources of the best and rarest ferns in the country today. Today, it is slowly building a name as the country’s leading source of exportable cut foliage.
Roxas City leads the number of growers in the province with ten (10) commercial farms located here. It is also considered as the commercialization center with the presence of 4 points of sale such as Paseo de Catedral, Balay Kapisnon, Trade Center Teodoro Arcenas and Talon Garden Center. It is followed by the municipalities of Sigma, Dao, Panay and Ivisan. As of December 2005, it is estimated that the total area dedicated to floriculture exceeds one hundred hectares.
Behind the strength of the industry is the Cooperativa de Propósitos Múltiples de Capiz (CMPC), which serves as the main coordinating body for cut flower and ornamental plant producers throughout the province. It works closely with National Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Government Units (LGUs) and relevant industry associations to provide a conducive business climate for the industry to develop and grow. All the major producers in the province are members of the Capiz MPC. It is an organization duly registered with the Cooperative Development Authority and the Department of Trade and Industry.
The local ornamental industry group is made up of the core industries, supply industries, and other industries that provide related and other services. The group is made up of interrelated and interdependent supporting industries and institutions.
Vision
A unified, self-sufficient, environmentally friendly and globally competitive floriculture industry to improve the quality of life of its members and the community and to be known as the “Cut Foliage Capital of the Philippines”
Service and input providers: this category includes the following:
Landscapers: Those who provide landscaping services to homes, public and commercial buildings, subdivisions, memorial parks, others. There are about 9 known professional landscapers in the province at present.
Floral Artists – Those who provide flower arranging services for occasions such as weddings, funerals, debut, graduation, product launch, grand openings, etc. Most of the floral artists are concentrated in the Cathedral Walk located near the Roxas City Metropolitan Cathedral, as they are also cut flower dealers.
Cut flower/ornamental plant dealers – are those who are solely engaged in the sale of cut flowers and ornamental plants. Either they sell at a permanent stall/place (like Balay Kapisnon, Paseo de Catedral) or they are street vendors (like most traders during municipal/city market days).
Input suppliers: include those that sell garden supplies and accessories, such as organic fertilizers (Hacienda Olive), terracotta/plastic pots, and substrates for soilless plants.
Industry status and performance
Production
Cut flowers
The province produces only a few varieties of cut flowers on a commercial scale. These are orchids (white dendrobiums), roses and asters (white and lilac). Other low-quality varieties produced on a limited scale include dahlias, lilies, African daisies, variegated ferns, and gladioli (orange). Cut orchids and ferns peaked in production between 1995 and 2000 with 4 commercial farms producing a total output of 1500 dozen per week. The volume of production slowly declined in the last 5 years as more and more flowers from outside the province flooded the local market. Currently, only 1 farm grows orchids.
Fresh Foliage and Live Plants
Foliage plants comprise 80% of the ornamental plant industry in Capiz and has become an important source of livelihood for many families. Most foliage plants are grown in commercial farms and backyard gardens in Sigma, Dao, Panay, Ivisan, and Roxas City.
Foliage plants are sold as cut, potted, or live plants. Potted plants serve as houseplants and landscaping, while cut foliage is for flower arrangements.
The demand for foliage plants is increasing. During the last 10 years, foliage plants, whether cut or live, have the largest share of the export market. At present, Capiz is the only province that exports cut sheets to Japan in all of Luzon and Visayas.
Main products sold
Industry products and services include cut flowers, flowering plants and potted vegetables, cuttings, cut foliage, garden materials, soilless rooting media, flower arranging services, garden services.
A. Cut flowers: they are so called because they are separated from the mother plants and they form bouquets, garlands, arrangements, centerpieces and the like. They are cultivated and traded for their aesthetic value. They are given as thanks and as an expression of love, joy and encouragement on occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and special events such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and All Saints/Candy Day. The main cut flowers produced by the province are orchids such as dendrobiums and vanda terrete; roses, puto-puto, ferns and gladiolas.
B. Filler Flowers: Includes white and lilac asters and baby’s breath.
C. Cut and Container Foliage Plants: Refers to fresh leaves, twigs, and branches cut fresh and used in floral arrangements, evergreens, and container-grown foliage plants for indoor and outdoor decorations. The main cut foliages produced by the province are dracaenas, polycias, palms, song of India, song of Korea, kamuning, cordylines, bottlebrush, rappis and ferns.
D. Potted Plants: Flowering annuals, shrubs, herbaceous perennials grown in containers used for exterior and interior decorations. The most popular flowering pot plants grown here include orchids, euphorbia, hibiscus, and bromeliads.
Landscaping Materials: Plants consisting of evergreen and flowering trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, grass covers, and fiberglass used for landscaping purposes. The following are some of the high-value palms grown in the province: Champagne, Bismarck, Hawaiian Fox Tail, Red & Blue Palm, and Sugar Palm. Meanwhile, some of the widely cultivated ground covers include mundo grass, golden peanuts, carabao grass, bermudagrass, and chichi rica.
Soilless Rooting Media: Coco coir/dust, organic fertilizer, driftwood, fern wood, and chips.
Organic Fertilizer: Locally produced and manufactured soil improvers. One of the most used brands is RANCAP, which is produced by Hacienda Olive in Pontevedra.
Services: landscaping, floral arranging, plant clinic/consulting
Existing business houses
1. Promenade of the Cathedral
Arsobizpo Street, Roxas City
2. Balay Kapisnon
McKinley St., Roxas City
Similar. No. (036) 621-3445
3. Talon Garden Center
Mayo Street Primer, Roxas City
VIII. industry potentials
The industry has great development potential due to the following factors:
Technology and support available
§ Availability of suitable production technologies from external sources.
§ Government and research institutions such as DTI, DA/BPI, DOST, PCARRD could very well provide the necessary technical and logistical support for the development of the industry.
§ Production technologies are available for the extraction of essential oils, which is in high demand in the domestic and export markets.
Strong workforce and grower association
§ Affiliation to industry associations at the national level
§ Existence of the Capiz Multipurpose Cooperative, which serves as the umbrella organization for all cut flower and ornamental plant growers in the province.
§ The province has a supply of trainable labor.
favorable environment
The province does not have a pronounced dry or wet season that is suitable for growing ornamental plants. Also, the province is rarely visited by strong typhoons.
Vast tracts of land are still available for development.
growing demand
Growing international and national demand due to the growing appreciation of the aesthetic value and environmental importance of ornamental crops.
Proximity to other Asian markets places Capiz in a good position to serve emerging markets.
The opening of the Iloilo International Airport improves the capacity for international trade.
VIII. projections
Imports (intranational and international)
Fresh cut flowers will dominate the province’s imports of ornamental plant products. These imported flowers are those that are not produced locally due to climatic conditions, such as chrysanthemums, lilies, roses, anthuriums, striae, gerberas, carnations, and some varieties of gladioli. Coming closer, there will be other live plants, cuttings and cuttings that will also be used as planting materials or mother plants. Far in third place are orchid seedlings. Flowers have seasonal demands.