MAHA 2012 - Stalls

[paphioboy]

MAHA = Malaysian Agricultural & Horticultural Exposition

Phal hybrids:

Variegated phals

Bulbophyllum graveolens

 

[paphioboy]

Some sad news... a lot of wild-collected orchids were openly sold at the stalls.

Wild-collected coelogyne

Wild-collected dend anosmum

Wild-collected phal and bulbos

The worst-affected were the paphs. mostly with measly root systems and unestablished. The buyers are going to be in for a shock, and the plants usually will decline. The majority will die if not purchased, as some of the sellers have NO experience growing paphs. The paphs were overpotted and some were half-buried (including leaves) in WET sphagnum moss.

Wild-collected callosum, sold bare-root without any media

Wild-collected niveum

Wild-collected niveum

Wild-collected niveum

 

[JeanLux]

Very cool pics!!!! So selling the collected ones is common!!?? (esp. the nivs don't look bad! Hopefully they find a pot to continue living!) Jean

 

[paphioboy]

So selling the collected ones is common!!??

Yes, that's the only way to obtain species here... 99% of species paphs sold here are collected. Very few people do flasking.

 

[wjs2nd]

The phals looked amazing. Seeing the paphs made me sad. Did you buy anything?

 

[NYEric]

Thanks for sharing. I hope they don't overcollect the orchids.

 

[Marc]

I think it's sad to see all these wild collected orchids. The fact that most of them die / get thrown away is even worse.

I still understand why it happens though.

 

[Dido]

Interesting pics, the niveums looks interesting

 

[Ozpaph]

No accounting for greed and wanton destruction of the environment....very sad.

 

[paphioboy]

I think it's sad to see all these wild collected orchids. The fact that most of them die / get thrown away is even worse.

I still understand why it happens though.

Collecting and selling wild orchids is a means of livelihood to some people. the thing is that most of them do not have experience in growing (I mean, establishing the plants), so a large proportion either dies in transit or under the hands of an inexperienced customer. I don't understand why they bother collecting small (seedling-sized) specimens which they end up considering as 'runts' and throw them away (because the buyers are less likely to purchase them)..

Just for info, bulbophyllums and coelogynes are priced by number of pseudobulbs here. Paphs are also sold by the number of growths.

 

[paphioboy]

The phals looked amazing. Seeing the paphs made me sad. Did you buy anything?

Got a few things

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27764

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27778

 

[SlipperFan]

I don't know how to feel about this. I understand and sympathize with those trying to make a living, but I'm very concerned about the loss of orchids in the wild.

But it is quite a marketplace!

 

[biothanasis]

I think I have a similar phal as the first yelow-pinking ones and it is fragrant!!!

These are not times to get sad, but rather creative on how to solve problems... Info speading is one sort of solution, so if people can pass some knowledge to others, problem can be solved. It needs some time, but since these people need something sustainable to live on, they should learn how to do it.

 

[paphioboy]

These are not times to get sad, but rather creative on how to solve problems... Info speading is one sort of solution, so if people can pass some knowledge to others, problem can be solved. It needs some time, but since these people need something sustainable to live on, they should learn how to do it.

I agree... if the collectors were educated on systematic, sustainable collection, by only harvesting a limited number, the correct way of harvesting to ensure the plants survive, proper way of establishment to get a nice looking plant that fetches a higher price, I think that is better than just going into the jungle and picking every single paph, including seedlings...