Re: [OGD] No Market for Paphs??

[Thomas Hillson]

I think there are lots of Paphiopedilum growers out there and several 
hundred producers. The problem is that the plants are all grown from 
seed or they are divisions. As a result you will never see Paph 
hybrids offered like Phalaenopsis, Oncidiums, Cattelyas or 
Dendrobiums or any other group that can be clonally propagated. The 
cost of production is too high for a Paphiopedilum. Some producers 
have managed to develop methods where they could grow a Paphiopedilum 
for a lower price than the average grower, but still not down to the 
level of what would be needed for mass marketing. I purchase Paphs 
from time to time at reduced prices, but never low enough to match 
what I could pay for Phalaenopsis or other mass market plants.

At 12:29 PM -0600 11/10/04, Barbara wrote:
I work for a tropical plant wholesaler. Tropical plants includes 
orchids. I have spent the last 4 years tracking down growers of any 
kind of orchids that will supply me quality plants at prices that 
will allow some profit for me and my retailer customers. This is not 
easy. I have finally found decent vendors of reasonably priced 
phals, oncids, catts and dends. But there is a huge dearth when it 
comes to sourcing slipper orchids. From my perspective, there is no 
market for paphs because there is no one doing mass production. If I 
am wrong and there is a mass producer of quality slipper orchids out 
there, please email me privately. I will be glad to reply. I am this 
close )( to putting my own scarce bench space to work

--
--Tom
/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Tom Hillson            Computer Services Manager
|(515) 294-1543      College of Agriculture
|                                  Iowa State University
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|"The only thing I have too much of is too little time"
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