Thailand, in particular, has been inundated with rain since early October, which has
created numerous obstacles for the country's orchid industry, said Tom Vail, general manager of Amy's Orchids.



"Some farms are flooded, making harvest impossible and, in some cases,
destroying the orchid plants," he said. Additionally, rains have spurred
logistical nightmares: flooded roads have made deliveries a major
burden, and several packing houses have had to shut down or move to
temporary locations.



Thailand, the
world's largest producer of dendrobium orchids, exports an average of two million stems per day, Vail said.

Many roads in Thailand have become impassable due to flooding. Others, like this one, take much longer to navigate because of standing water and increased traffic, as people look for alternate routes.

The Thailand government estimates that more than two million acres have
been affected by flooding, of which "probably less than 10 percent" grow
orchids, Vail said. One acre can support more than 30,000 orchid
plants, producing approximately 15,000 cut stems per month, he said.



It is too soon to determine the extent of devastation for Thailand's orchid industry, Vail said, "but damaged
flowers will take more than one year to replace."



Amy's Orchids has been spared major physical damage, thanks to
engineering geared to protect against flooding. Built on six feet of
fill, the company's packing building stands one foot above road level.
There is also a four-foot dike around the farm.



"Our biggest problems are that some roads are closed, causing additional
traffic on the road we use to deliver our flowers to the airport,
turning a three-hour trip into a six-hour
trip," Vail said. Additionally, some of Amy's Orchids' vendors have had
to close due to flooding, which has caused some difficulties in sourcing
certain materials.

-Katie Hendrick, SAF