Coronavirus Philippines: plants the latest target for thieves as prices soar amid demand boom
- Officials step up patrolling of protected natural areas amid reports of plant traders scouring forests to meet a spike in demand from locked-down Filipinos
- The green fever has prompted some entrepreneurs to switch to or add horticulture after their existing businesses fell victim to the effects of the virus
The government has stepped up monitoring of social media and patrolling of protected natural areas amid reports of traders scouring mountains and forests for plants, including endangered species, to meet a sudden spike in demand from locked-down Filipinos who are craving some greenery in their homes.
“Illegal gatherers and collectors are having a fiesta because the market is bigger and prices are more attractive,” said Rogelio Demallete, an ecosystem specialist at the nation’s Biodiversity Management Bureau. “People are buying and raising plants because of boredom from the quarantine.”
Carnivorous pitcher plants and bantigue trees, popular in crafting bonsai, are among those sought after, Demallete said.
The bureau’s agents, hampered by quarantine restrictions, are working with the National Bureau of Investigation to catch illegal gatherers and traders of the “vulnerable” and “endangered” species such as Alocasia Zebrina and Alocasia Sanderiana.