He says that unlike moth orchids and poinsettias, which are greenhouse grown using standard practices, "Flamingo lily cultivation is labor intensive and not easily automated. Also, if you get pests, the damage is difficult to control. Big corporations and conglomerates aren't interested in the business, which allows small farmers to survive."
種過蝴蝶蘭、玫瑰的他，之所以從 1997 年開始改種火鶴，他坦言是「在夾縫中求生存」，和蝴蝶蘭、聖誕紅等有溫室、標準化栽培的花卉不同，「栽植火鶴費工又難自動化，一旦有蟲害又難以控制，大企業、財團不會投入，小農才有生存的空間。」