KUCHING: Malaysia’s orchid industry is relatively small com- pared to those in other coun- tries, but it has great potential to flourish.
“The orchid is still a very niche product in Malaysia, with an export value of around US$3 mil- lion in 2017, according to Floral Daily,” said Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah while officiating at the opening ceremony of a lecture programme at the 13th Asia Pacific Orchid Conference (Apoc13) yesterday.
According to him, the Malaysian floriculture industry was valued at US$85.1 million as of 2018, compared to established orchid industries in Thailand and Taiwan which are worth over US$150 million.
Abdul Karim believed that within Malaysia the industry is the most active in Malaya. However,
Sarawak’s ample land could be used to support the growth of the industry here.
“Hopefully the hosting of Apoc13 here this year will boost the growth of the orchid indus- try in Sarawak,” he said in his speech.
“As someone from the tourism industry, I am very interested in the discovery, research, propa- gation, and conservation of this exotic plant,” he elaborated, add- ing that orchid shows such as Apoc13 are a fantastic way to pro- mote tourism by attracting enthu- siasts from all over the world.
“Sarawak has one of the richest biodiversity in the world and this isalsothecasefororchidspecies,” Abdul Karim stated.
With this, he encouraged par- ticipants of Apoc13, which includ- ed international visitors, to take the time to discover the numer- ous national parks surrounding Kuching which are easily acces- sible such as Kubah National Park and Bako National Park.
Abdul Karim also recommended that visitors experience the unique melting pot of cultures in Sarawak by visiting the Sarawak Cultural Village, indulging in the
vast variety of local food, and exploring the beautiful environ- ment of the state.
“Sarawak has always been seen as the true model of One Malaysia,” he told the audience proudly.
Also present at the opening ceremony were Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) mayor Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai, Apoc president Dennis Kao and Apoc trustees.
