Poinsettia, or Christmas flower, whose formal name is Euphorbia ulcherrima, is often used as an ornamental plant during the hristmas season due to the brilliance of its vermilion leaves.

A subtropical plant that originated in Mexico, poinsettia is ultivated mostly in the north of Taiwan and looks its best from ctober to February.

Even though poinsettias are indispensable for the Christmas eriod, flower farmers said they still under heavy economic pressure, dding that both production and demand are declining.

Chuang Ying-cheng, owner of the Sanmin Garden located in the ountryside of Taoyuan County in northern Taiwan, told CNA that oinsettias are also in short supply due to adverse weather onditions earlier this year.

He noted that frequent typhoons and high temperatures this summer aused a delay in the plants' development of florescence in their eaves, making some of them not red enough for sale.

In addition, he said, plant diseases earlier in the year have lso reduced harvests and reduced quality. He estimated that disease as led to a reduction of about 100,000 pots of poinsettias around he country, bringing the total harvest this year down to about 1.1 illion pots.

These factors, he went on, have meant that quantities can barely eet market demand, even though the market demand seems to have eclined slightly compared to the past few years.

Instead of raising prices to take advantage of the short supply, owever, Chuang said he has reduced the price of his poinsettias by T$5 to NT$10 per pot due to the economic slump.

A poinsettia pot costs from NT$30 (US$0.9) to several hundred ollars in Taiwan, depending on size and variety.

"In general this year, we have recorded an approximate 10 percent eduction in turnover compared to last year," Chuang said.

Meanwhile, a seller at Chunghsing Garden, also located in Taoyuan ounty, said the number of their orders recorded a decline of almost 0 percent this year. Although retail sales quantities do not appear o have changed, wholesale traders' orders have fallen, she said.

To adapt to the economic slump, some farmers have been trying to aintain their business with other activities to boost their incomes.

The Hualu Flower Farm in Miaoli County, established in 1988, is a ecreational farm open to tourists throughout the year. Owner Chen i-neng said his business has remained as stable as last year and hat visitors are still willing to buy his flowers, although he also ffers other items such as carnivorous plants, as well as activities uch as camping and fruit-picking.

He has created new varieties of dwarf poinsettias, as well as a hree-color poinsettia that bears red, pink and white leaves on the ame stem.

But according to Chen, it is the traditional red poinsettias with heir big vibrant leaves that give a joyful Christmassy atmosphere hat are still the favorite variety among local buyers.