種苗病毒驗證制度－凸顯台灣蝴蝶蘭產業獨特、可靠與穩定性的一項積極作為

Abstract

蝴蝶蘭為我國外銷之旗艦作物，近十年來其種苗之出口量雖然高居世界之冠，然而由於廠商急於擴增產能佔據市場之策略運用，種苗之品質包括突變之比率、病毒感染率及栽培之能易與穩定性等，並未被業者列為最高之考量。因此，這些年來過度增產之副作用已經逐漸浮現，國際上經常可以聽到抱怨我國種苗品質的聲音，加上其他國家與廠商為競爭市場而刻意宣染，使我國蝴蝶蘭產業形象受到不小的衝擊。當然，近年來國際競爭之劇烈使得下游廠商在多重選擇下對於國際市場上產品之挑選愈趨嚴苛，換言之，未來國際市場已經步入品質戰或價格戰二大分流，若非以品質取勝，則必須在價格上有足夠競爭力。台灣本土廠商基於先天體質之限制，可能唯有提升品質控管，才能持續維護長期所辛苦建立之產業競爭力。 健康種苗驗證制度乃源自二十世紀初，荷蘭針對感染鬱金香之病毒病害所設計出來的一種檢查與品質認證的制度，針對種球品質與帶病毒比率加以評估，供消費者購買時之參考。後來荷蘭政府甚至立法規定其國內所生產之種球必須經過驗證，合乎國家品質標準才能公開銷售。有了這種公開的種球驗證制度後，荷蘭之鬱金香品質便逐漸贏得世界各國之肯定，並擺脫其他國家之競爭，成為現今獨占鼇頭之國家。因此「驗證制度」乃推動健康種苗事務之積極作為，一來可協助種苗生產者建立統一之種苗健康管理標準，提升品質形象與競爭力。二來使消費者能夠藉此篩選高品質之種苗，提升購買健康種苗之信心與意願。良性循環的結果將可創造生產者與栽培者雙贏的局面。因此筆者近年來一直倡議及早建立我國蝴蝶蘭種苗之病毒驗證制度，希望藉此凸顯我國蝴蝶蘭種苗之品質，並與競爭國產品區隔，以維護我國產業之競爭力。然而過去五年來這項提議並未獲得國內業者之認同，多數廠商皆認為立意很好但時機未到。不過晚近荷蘭在蝴蝶蘭產業上強勢衝刺，且以病毒議題挑戰我國產品形象，企圖以無病毒種苗區隔我國產品，對我國產業已構成嚴重威脅。筆者認為蝴蝶蘭種苗『病毒驗證』之實施已經到達必須立即啟動的階段，若再拖延，我國種苗將無法擺脫國際競爭者之污名化策略，而逐漸耗蝕辛苦建立之形象與競爭力。所幸在多數業者共體時艱並逐漸取得共識之下，本(96)年4月28日防檢局已經正式公告實施蝴蝶蘭種苗病毒驗證制度，此一率先國際實施之創舉，將對我國蝴蝶蘭產業之發展產生立即深遠之影響。當然未來更需各界之配合，堅持與耐心，相信假以時日我國之蝴蝶蘭種苗驗證制度必能獲得國際認同，成為我國蝴蝶蘭產業進一步奮起及永續經營的有力輔助。 Phalaenopsis orchid industry in Taiwan has been prosperously developing in recent decades, and currently we are the leading country in terms of the number of seedings exporting annually. However, due to the excessive expanding of production recently, the qualities of orchid seedlings including mutation, growth vigor and virus infection rate are not properly managed by most Phalaenopsis nurseries in Taiwan. In fact, complains from oversea customers about the quality especially the virus infection rate of our exporting seedlings are frequently heard. Furthermore, rapid development of Phalaenopsis industry in other countries such as Holland, Mainland China, and many others have made the international market more competitive than before. In order to maintain the strong competitiveness of our Phalaenopsis industry, we need to manage to improve the quality of our exporting Phalaenopsis seedlings to maintain or regain the confidence from our international customers. To produce high quality seedlings, a virus-free seedling propagation system was proposed to be implemented. Besides, a virus certification program, similar to those enforcing in the Dutch floral industry for more than sixty years, was also proposed to be integrated in the seedling production system. By the inspection and justification of fair and objective third parties, the quality of the Phalaenopsis seedlings produced in Taiwan can be certified and guaranteed. Without virus certification it will be difficult for orchid nurseries to guarantee and convince the quality and virus-free status of their orchid seedlings even if they were improved following the virus-free propagation program. In other words, an effective virus certification system can certainly help Taiwan’s phalaenopsis orchids to be recognized by international market as distinctive, dependable and stable product. We were very proud that the certification system was officially proclaimed on April 28, 2006 by Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) of our government, which is the first certification system for phalaenopsis seedlings in the world.