Australian orchid nursery diversity and politics

13 years ago

A long standing NSW native orchid vendor at the St Ives Orchid Show in Sydney tells me he has been refused a spot at this years show. This was apparently in part due to a certain orchid nursery based in Victoria deciding to buy its way into the show. The money paid by the Victorian nursery apparently swayed the show committee in its favor.

As this Victorian nursery gets larger, it is contributing to the failure of more and more orchid nurseries in Australia.

I ask, what can be done to promote support of these other smaller orchid nursery's in Australia? Would a boycott of the large nursery by those concerned - such as I - be worthwhile?

As Australian orchid growers let things continue the way they have been, there are less and less vendors from which to purchase plants. All the while the growing monopoly of the Victorian nursery is increasing the cost of their plants - to the disadvantage of all orchid growers in Australia. Certainly the large orchid nursery's greed and power is exhibited in online orchid auctions where most orchid buyers I know wonder how this nursery's owner can live with themselves selling orchids for such exorbitant prices.

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Comments (6)

richardol
13 years ago
Up to the last sentence, I was thinking that your situation was similar to the one in the US where large growers have moved in on the decorator hybrid market. Nurseries who were trying to compete in that market went out of business because the large growers were offering LOW prices.

The vendors who are successful are those who are finding a specialty such as a particular group of genera or high-end hybrids.

If the Victorian is asking prices that are too high, why can't smaller local growers compete with that?
orchidnick
13 years ago
If it's who I think it is, most of their stuff is listed on Ebay which is the fairest of all market places. If prices are too high, people won't bid on the product. If their stuff sells on Ebay then their price is not too high.

When I buy a plant on Ebay, I try to get it for 1/2 or less what established nurseries sell it for. Many times I bid on plants that I could not get anywhere else wich then becomes a horse of a different color. In either case, the market place always finds it's own level.

Nick
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Hi Patty, I didn't mean to sound like a disagree with you. Just that by fact in my experience I have never gotten plants like that. Just because I never had doesn't mean you have not had a bad experience and if you have that really stinks. I will tell you that their customer service could use much improvement because they are not good about getting back to me either when needed. But thank God my plants have always been ok. I order with them because of rare plants as Jan said. I wish you all the luck if you decide to keep going to them. It must of been a huge bummer and cost. Sorry to hear of it. They should of reimbursed you.. Jane, so glad yo are ok...I was worried about you. I have a couple of friends down there and lost a couple to that dreaded flu and it worries me about others know there including you. I have been working hard to keep my Mom safe and my Dad in the nursing home had to have the national guard come in. It will be a threat until something good happens. yes, thank God for our plants and plenty to do in the yard. I just started to work out but they only allow a limited few with masks and sanitize everything behind us than god. You have always been such a blessing here and even when you were picked on you stuck around here for the love of helping others. My hats off to you. You are very special and I have learned lots from you. Always thinking of you. The zoom is good but you are right, I so miss the shows and the close contact with friends. I have not been able to hug my mom since August(( Prayers that you stay strong and healthy through this time. Mike
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The real cost is not import duties. A package of plants must have an accurate packing list, CITES and the import license of the receiver. All of the above is free. It also must have a Phyto Sanitary Certificate which is anything but free. It originates in the country which is sending the plants and the cost appears not the same everywhere but usually is $175. OUCH. One of these is necessary if your shipment contains 10,000 plants or 1. There is the real cost of importing. If you bring in enough plants, the cost gets diluted but for a small number of plants it's quite expensive. Then there is the 'Protected Plant Permit'. This costs $70 and is good for 2 years. It is only necessary for a commercial importer. Private hobbyists don't need it. The custom inspectors at the Los Angeles facility however, have this strange desire to see it anyway. They told me it was not necessary but 'WOULD MAKE IT EASIER ' for plants to get through. Figure that one out. One other point: Getting a Phyto Sanitary Permit in Lower Slobovia does not guarantee passage of the plants into the US. It only means that they will do you the favor of looking at and inspecting your plants. If they see something they don't like they will reject them despite you having done everything right. In that case they give you the choice of : 1) Destroying the plants (at your expense) 2) Shipping them back to the country of origin (at your expense) 3) Disinfecting them (at your expense). If you won't play their little game you could loose your import permit. This is a lot of fun, but I think only the sniffing Beagles really are enjoying themselves, they get a treat every time they find something. Nick PS If you wish to modify your entry and it gets rejected, all you need to do is change one character in the heading and it will get through. You have 3 periods between the words venting and part. Add a couple of more periods and the second message will go through.
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My bad Stitz... of course you are correct. I have to be honest though I have only attended a handful of such meetings in my life. One in Staten Island, one in New York, NY (Manhattan to visitors), and one in Salem, OR. The meeting in NY was noteworthy for having Fred Clarke (Sunset Orchids) as speaker. Love those Cataseum hybrids! Its one thing to be a minority, it is quite another to be a freak. I've always felt a little freakish doing things like singing in Early Music ensembles, attending Calligraphy workshops and of course Orchid Society meetings. As the original poster was aware there is often minority representation from the usual suspects but with the obvious notable exception. I would much rather not be an exception. Anywho, thanks for the kind words of welcome. How have all of youse been doing? Being good to one another, lol? Any good flame-wars in the archives I should dig up? Fess up, I have started a new job and do not have a lot of time to get personal with the Gardenweb Search Engine. I will do what I can as a newly re-instated member of the light brigade but, really, what can I say that I haven't already said? "It needs more light". Cut and paste the preceding into any posts that you feel I should respond to. It's ok I give you permission. H
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terrestrial_man
13 years ago
If the smaller orchid nurseries in Australia were to form a consortium or a loose association that united in producing advertising in the publications of local Australian orchid societies or in promotional efforts at local meeetings where the real interest in orchids can be found then that could be a direct challenge to this larger grower. If you are vying for competition in the flower market then that is a horse of a different color though small growers can pool their crops with united sales programs but overhead of such may prove just too much to be worth the effort.
In the USA this phenomenon is occurring throughout the agriculture industry as the costs of running a family farm skyrockets and corporate ventures move in and simply out compete them. It is a market economy and the politics of that market really dictate the reality of survival.
stitzelweller
13 years ago
" In the USA this phenomenon is occurring throughout the agriculture industry as the costs of running a family farm skyrockets and corporate ventures move in and simply out compete them. It is a market economy and the politics of that market really dictate the reality of survival. "

terrestrial_man,
This is EXACTLY what happened to my grandfather in what is now Golden, Colorado around 1937.

--Stitz--
daveh_sf
13 years ago
If this nursery is swaying the show committee with money, then maybe it's time to reform the show committee or put pressure on them somehow to clean up. It seems like it's in the best interest of the show to have as many diverse vendors as possible.
stitzelweller
13 years ago
key words found in two recent posts include: boycott, monopoly, large orchid nursery's greed and power, exorbitant prices, swaying the show committee with money, time to reform, put pressure on them somehow to clean up, have as many diverse vendors as possible

Give it a break!

--Stitz--

Australian orchid nursery diversity and politics

Comments (6)

richardol

orchidnick

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