Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at the 14th Asia-Pacific Orchid Conference

Aug 16, 2023

A very good morning to everyone and welcome to the 14th Asia Pacific Orchid Conference, or APOC.

We are very honoured to welcome Madam President as our Guest-of-Honour this morning. Madam President has been a strong supporter of our greening and nature conservation efforts. Thank you for taking the time to grace this occasion.

APOC is a prestigious conference that brings together the largest gathering of orchid researchers and enthusiasts in the Asia-Pacific region, to promote awareness, development and research into the hybridisation, cultivation, science and conservation of orchids. I would like to thank the APOC trustees for their confidence in Singapore as the host for this year’s Conference, as well as OSSEA and NParks for working together to make this happen.

This is the first time that Singapore is hosting APOC, and we are deeply honoured to be doing so.


Singapore’s Relationship with Orchids

Orchids are an iconic element of Singapore’s national heritage, and they have played an integral role in Singapore’s growth and international standing. The Singaporeans among us would be familiar with the Vanda Miss Joaquim, our national flower. It is a beautiful orchid hybrid that is vibrant, resilient, and blooms all year round, symbolising the Singapore spirit.

The Vanda Miss Joaquim inspired one of our early Directors of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Mr Richard Eric Holttum, to start experimenting with orchid hybridisation in 1928. The results of these experiments led to the Gardens’ first orchid hybrid in 1931, followed by many more outstanding hybrids cultivated in the Gardens, which have received global recognition.

Today, the Singapore Botanic Gardens is recognised as a centre for orchid research, hybridisation and breeding. Over 220 orchid species have been recorded by the Gardens to-date, many of which were new-to-science or were first described based on plants collected locally.

Our researchers continue to carry out comprehensive surveys of our green spaces and taxonomic studies to help us better understand orchids. This has allowed us to re-discover 28 orchid species in Singapore that were thought to have been extirpated, over the last 15 years. They also work closely with overseas partners to drive research and support orchid conservation, especially in Southeast Asia.

We are also carrying on our long tradition of orchid hybridisation and breeding. The strong capabilities we have built up over the years in the germination and propagation of orchid seeds have allowed us to produce some of the finest orchids which have been exported all over the world.

These include the Golden Shower or Dancing Lady Orchid, which first flowered in 1939, and the Aranda Noorah Alsagoff, which is popular for its purple-blue and long-lasting flowers.

Our local orchid industry is also known for its continuous innovation and the production of new orchid hybrids unique to our local context, for example, in the breeding of fragrant orchids using various Vanda species from the region, and of hybrids that are more resilient to climate change – such as papilionanthes and papilionandas.

More hobbyists and professional growers are also cultivating miniature orchid hybrids that are suitable for growing in high-rise apartments. These hybrids are free-flowering, vibrantly coloured and long-lasting.

Beyond these efforts, we protect threatened native orchid species and grow them in our parks and along our streets, as part of our Orchid Conservation Programme. Since the Programme started in 1995, we have reintroduced 33 native orchid species in more than 40 different locations.

You can spot species such as the Tiger Orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum) in places like the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Pasir Ris Park, and along Napier Road.

On this note, I am happy to share that NParks will be publishing a second edition of the ‘Native Orchids of Singapore – Diversity, Identification and Conservation’ guidebook within the next few months. This guidebook documents our botanists’ efforts to conserve, propagate and introduce native orchid species across Singapore.

We have come a long way since the first edition was published in 2013. In the last 10 years, we have discovered and described new-to-science species such as the Nervilia singaporensis, which is the only orchid species that is exclusively found in Singapore today. Readers may look forward to these findings in the second edition, alongside updates on species that we have reintroduced in the wild.   

Highlights of the 14th APOC

It is important that we continue to work together to deepen understanding of our native orchids, and to shape the future of orchid cultivation, research and conservation in the Asia Pacific region. Singapore is pleased to be facilitating further meaningful exchanges of knowledge, best practices and ideas among the international community through APOC this year. 

I would like to extend a warm welcome to our distinguished Conference guest speakers and experts from Asia, Australia and the Americas. Our conversations over the next four days will go a long way towards enhancing orchid conservation and cultivation in the region.

I also look forward to the vibrant orchids displays at the Orchid Show. These have been put together by a wonderful group of communities showcasing their creativity, artistry and skills in orchid cultivation.

There are floral exhibits, photo and illustration galleries, and even a floral fashion showcase by students from ITE College Central; we also have the Orchid Plant and Orchid Landscape Competitions. This year, we have received nearly 700 entries for the Orchid Plant Competition alone!

There also many unique orchids in the Orchid Landscape Competition. For example, the Phalaenopsis Blue Gene ‘311NR’, a true blue orchid that got its colour from genetic engineering is on display outside Japan for the first time. You can find it at the Hyogo Prefectural Awaji Greenhouse in the competition. 

Whether you are inspired to start your own orchid garden after viewing the displays or you’re an old hand in this area, do drop by the Marketplace to pick up some materials and chat with the vendors.

Conclusion

Let me conclude by wishing all of you a fruitful and productive APOC. Please have an enjoyable week ahead. Thank you.