Around 100 delegates from 27 different countries participated in the 69th Annual Congress of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) that took place in Taichung, Chinese Taipei on 26-29 September.
The Congress, hosted by TFDA Chinese Taipei and Taichung City Government, incorporated a conference on the development of and opportunities for ornamental horticulture in South East Asia with speakers from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Malaysia and India.
The conference was organised as part of an AIPH project to identify an ‘International Vision’ for ornamental horticulture. Project Manager and Chairman of the conference, Joep Hendricks, commented: “They provided us with invaluable insights from players and policy makers in South East Asia. Their deep knowledge and understanding of the industry in their home countries would otherwise very difficult to access. AIPH has now created a platform on which representatives can continue their sharing of data and insights to develop policies that can help move the industry forward “
The Congress also included a conference for the organisers of International Horticultural Exhibitions and visits to the Cecilia Kook Botanic Conservation Centre in Pingtung, orchid growers in Tainan, the site of the Taichung World Flora Expo 2018 and Taichung Flower Auction Market.
Discussions in the AIPH Green City Committee, chaired by Ms. Karen Tambayong from Indonesia, included a review of a project to conduct life cycle analysis and quantify the value of green infrastructure by Mr. Victor Santacruz from the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) and an update on progress with Nursery Garden Industry Australia (NGIA) initiative ‘202020 Vision’ which seeks to gain 20% more planting and green space in urban areas by 2020.
Leonardo Capitanio from the Italian Exporters Association (ANVE) introduced the ‘Phytoweb’ tool they have developed to improve the understanding of plant health threats in different countries.
Commenting on the Congress AIPH President, Bernard Oosterom, said: “I am delighted that this congress attracted so many countries that have never been before. This demonstrates how the global horticultural production industry is changing as new countries rise in importance on the global horticulture stage. Every delegate has left with new information and inspiration and I would like to thank Taichung City Government, in particular, for their generous support in making this Congress such a success.”
The next meeting of AIPH will be hosted by NGIA and will take place in Melbourne, Australia from 20-23 March 2018. The programme will include a Green City conference and visits to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and professional growers.
