Papers

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4.1. Cultivation Techniques of Orchids in Wonderland Toys

They started orchid cultivation since 2004 at Rajendrapur in gazipur on 4 bighas land. Later, in 2007, they have replaced their garden at Vovanipur in Gazipur on 6 bighas land. They plant Dendrobium, Cattleya and Mokara for flowers.

• At first plants were collected from Thailand and an expert were also hired for 3 years from there. He taught other staffs of the garden cultivation and management techniques of orchid plants.
• Pot – they don’t use any pot.
• Material (planting media) – they use only coir.
• Light – they provide indirect sun-light to their plants and make shade by net.
• Watering – electricity is not available there, so they use diesel engine to collect water. In summer, they spray water twice and in winter once. In the rainy season, when it is frequently raining, need not watering.

Figure-12: Orchid garden under Wonderland Toys

• Fertilizing – they use fertilizers exported from Thailand (Miracle grow 10-10-10, Flowering food 19-31-17 and Plant food 10-15-10) and a mixture of Urea and water (Urea : Water = 100 gm : 15 L). This mixture is applied once per week.
• Re-potting- no re-potting is done. Coir may be changed if required.
• Pesticide- no pesticide is used as pest attack is very rare.
• Product that is sold – flower. They have 400000-5000000 orchid plants. They supply flowers of those plants to Dhaka. Then these flowers spread all over the country (Manik, 2009)

4.2. Economics of Orchids in Wonderland Toys

• The orchid garden of Wonderland Toys has 400000-500000 orchid plants. They pluck more flowers during March –August (6 months) of the year and fewer flowers during September – February (next 6 months). In flower shops a stick of flower is sold 12-20 tk. And the low graded stick at 8 tk. Wonderland Toys is a whole-seller and sells orchid flower 6 tk. per stick (Manik, 2009).

The cost- benefit ratio for this garden is shown:

A. Average production cost

Labor of the garden = 15

Lack of electricity, diesel engine is used there to supply water. So, they have to incur the cost of diesel.

Table: 2. Average production cost

component	Range of cost per month in (Taka, Bangladeshi currency)	Average cost per month in (Taka, Bangladeshi currency)
Salary of labors	3000-5000	4000
diesel	1200-1400	1300
Fertilizers and others	2000-3000	2500

Total salary of labors (15) = (4000 x 15) tk.

= 60000 tk.

So, average cost per month = (60000 + 1300 + 2500) = 63800 tk.

B. Average income

Table: 3. Average income

Component	During March- August	During September- February
No. of flowers per week	10000-12000	6000-8000
Price of flowers per week in tk.	60000-72000	36000-48000
Average price per week in tk. (P1)	66000	42000
Average price per month in tk. (P2 = P1x 4)	264000	168000
Average price for 6 months in tk. (P3 = P2 x 6)	1584000	1008000

So, average income in 1 year = (1584000 + 1008000) tk. = 2592000tk.

Average income per month = (2592000 / 12) tk. =216000tk.

Benefit per month = (avg. income – avg. cost) = (216000 – 63800) tk.

=152200tk.

Benefit-Cost ratio = 152200 / 63800 = 2.39. So, the business of orchid flower is extremely profitable. Wonderland Toys can earn 2.39 tk. by investing 1tk. from orchid flower garden.

But there is no electricity supply at the village Pingail in Vovanipur where the garden is established. As a result they are using diesel engine to supply water. Transportation system is not well. The garden is about 5 miles away from the Vovanipur town and the road is made of earth which becomes muddy in the rainy season.

Figure-13: Front side of orchid garden of Wonderland Toys

4.3. Marketing channel for orchids of Wonderland Toys

In Wonderland Toys, two marketing chains were found, i.e. orchid garden Þ whole-seller Þ retailer Þ consumer/ buyer and orchid garden Þ whole-seller Þ consumer/ buyer. The overall marketing channels are given below:

Figure-14: Marketing channel for orchid flowers of Wonderland Toys

4.4. Cultivation Techniques of Orchids in BRAC

BRAC started orchid cultivation since 1998 at Joydebpur in Gazipur on about 2 bighas land. They are cultivating mainly: Dendrobium, Cattleya and Cymbidium. This orchid garden is under the control of BRAC Agricultural Research and Development Center, Gazipur.

· At first they collected some orchid plants from Thailand and Malaysia. Later they are producing a lot of plants from those through micro-propagation process in their tissue culture laboratory (Akhter, 2009). Plants producing through tissue culture are disease free and of same quality, size and nature.

· Pot – they use earthen pots and plastic pots.

· Material (planting media) – coir and coal of wood.

· Light – they provide orchid plants indirect sun-light and 50% shade using nets.

· Watering – in summer, twice (morning and afternoon); in winter, once only in the morning.

Figure-15: Orchid garden under BRAC

· Fertilizing – Miracle grow 10-10-10, Flowering food19-31-17, Plant food 10-15-10 and micro-nutrients 0.2% concentration in summer and 0.1% concentration in winter.

· Re-potting – no re-potting is done.

· Pesticide – attack by pest is very rare, so pesticide is not needed.

· Product that is sold – orchid plants. Nursery owners of various parts of the country (i.e. Sylhet, Chittagong, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Savar, Rangpur etc.) buy orchid plants from this garden. Individual buyer or consumer also can buy orchid plants from here (Akhter, 2009).

4.5. Economics of Orchids in BRAC

They sell orchid plants of various sizes. The price of these plants varies with their sizes (Akhter, 2009). The cost and benefit of this garden is shown here:

A. Average production cost

Labor of the garden =10

Table: 4. Average production cost

Component	Range of cost per month (Taka, Bangladeshi currency)	Average cost per month (Taka, Bangladeshi currency)
Salary of labors	4000-5000	4500
Fertilizers and medicine	1000-2000	1500
Others	3000-4000	3500

Total salary of labors (10) =(4500 x 10 ) tk.= 45000 tk.

Average cost per month = (45000 + 1500 + 3500) tk. =50000tk.

B. Average income

Table: 5. Average income

Name of genus	Price range (TK)	Average price (TK)	No. of plants sold in a year	Total income per year in tk.
Dendrobium	100-200	100	3000	300000
Cattleya	100-500	200	7000	1400000
Cymbidium	100-300	100	2000	200000

Total income in a year = (300000 + 1400000 + 200000) tk. = 1900000 tk.

Average income per month = 1900000 /12 = 158333.33tk.

Benefit = (158333.33 – 50000) tk. per month. =108333.33tk. per month.

Benefit – Cost ratio = 108333.33 /50000 = 2.17

So the business of orchid plants is also profitable. BRAC is earning 2.17 tk. by investing 1 tk. per month from business of orchid plants.

4.6. Marketing channel for orchids of BRAC

In BRAC two marketing chain was found i. e. Orchid garden Þ Nursery Þ Buyers / consumers and Orchid garden Þ Buyers / Consumers. The overall marketing channels are given below:

Figure-16: Marketing Channel for orchid plants of BRAC

4.7. Discussion

Orchid grows more slowly with less light and cooler temperature. It prefers warm position and humidity. So in cooler regions, green-house is made for orchid cultivation. On the contrary, the environment of Bangladesh is so favorable that needs not any such measure. Other orchid growing countries of the world are using pesticides to protect their plants from attacks of various pests and disease. But in Bangladesh, disease and attack of pests to orchid plants is so rare that normally pesticides are not used. Orchid garden of BRAC uses coal of wood but no pesticide.

Some countries like, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. are earning a lots of foreign currency by exporting orchids. At present, Thailand is at the first position in exporting orchids. It is earning 60 million dollars by exporting orchids. Now, orchid cultivation is considered as a cottage industry in Sri-Lanka (Islam, 1985). The professor of botany department of Dhaka University, Ahammed Samsul Islam, edited a book in 1985. There it was mentioned that it has been proved in the laboratory of botany dept. in Dhaka University that it is possible to cultivate orchids commercially in a large scale in Bangladesh through tissue culture and it can be exported (Islam, 1985). Recently Export Development Bureau is showing interest to export orchid; they have discussed with the Orchid Society of Bangladesh. Orchid experts had come to talk with the society and cultivators and to observe the present status of orchids in Bangladesh. They are more interested about our indigenous orchids. But almost all of our orchids bloom only once in a year. It means after exporting one production, we have to wait a long time for the next production. (Iqbal, 2009). It’s a great barrier in exporting orchids.