Plans afoot to send dendrobium orchid samples to Dubai

Panaji: The directorate of agriculture in Goa is gearing up for a leap into the international market with the export of dendrobium variant of orchids to Dubai. Currently, Goa produces 20-25 lakh stalks of orchids annually within less than ten polyhouses spread across the state.
“We are looking forward to sending samples of the orchids to Dubai, this Sep,” Dattaprasad Desai, the assistant director of agriculture, horticulture, told TOI.
“The decision follows a meeting with exporters on Thursday, to formulate our action plan. Our focus is to enhance production quality over the next two months to ensure that we meet international standards,” he said.
Orchid production in Goa faces challenges due to cloudy conditions affecting crop yields. Normally yielding 14-15 flowers per stalk, orchids see reduced output during the monsoon, producing around 10-12 flowers per stalk. With rainfall expected to recede by Sep, officials are optimistic about marketing the orchid crop effectively on the global stage.
The agriculture department also anticipates a surge in demand for variants like mokara that are currently cultivated on a smaller scale.
“Goa’s tropical climate is ideal for orchid cultivation since it has humidity throughout the year. The state has great potential as a major player in the floriculture industry,” Desai said.
In the past decade, farmers in Sanguem and Canacona talukas cultivated orchids as Goa was set to establish itself as an orchid hub of India. However, it was disrupted during the Covid-19 lockdown and the onslaught of Cyclone Tauktae.