2019 is coming to an end , so it ’s clip to search back . How was the yr ? What were the challenge and what are the opportunities for 2020 ? We speak with two export associations in the independent efflorescence produce country in South America ; Alejandro Martinez , president of Expoflores in Ecuador and Augusto Solano , president of Asocolflores in Colombia .
All things considered , for both nation , it has been a challenging yr ; for Colombia particularly the source of the twelvemonth due to the weather condition , and for Ecuador it was a though yr in terms of adjusting to the glut in flowers and the strikes that were hard for most of the farm . However , they look forward to 2020 . The United States is for both of them by far the most of import res publica with pile of potential drop to increase sales . " Consumers do not look where the flower issue forth from , so so as to bring home the bacon we all need to supply a gamey quality ware " , state Solano . Also in other countries , they are visualise chance to increase mart share . In the future , they both expect productivity to grow rather than acreage , thanks to efficiency improvements .
Augusto Solano of Asocolflores and Alejandro Martinez of Expoflores .
Export numbersWhen liken 2019 to 2018 , flower exports grew for Ecuador and remained more or less the same for Colombia . " Monetarily speaking , flower exports grew 1.9 % in equivalence to last twelvemonth ( i.e. YTD ) , but that was chiefly due to a general increase ( 4.2 % ) in prices , rather than to an increase in the intensity of exports , which actually decrease by 2.3 % " , says Martinez . In Colombia , weather issues resulted in more or less like exportation numbers compared with 2018 . " It was in a sure way a unmanageable twelvemonth at the beginning with the weather , we did not have enceinte weather and it move the production . Therefore , our export stratum stayed more or less at the same level in 2019 as in 2018 " , says Solano .
What went well?Martinez : " As Expoflores , we have been work tight with potency on regulating farms with none or gloomy regulation in terms of noetic place , workers regulations and others . This has intend a reduction ( low for the import ) in terms of supply , but the existent effect will be escort in 2020 . Farms have executed their commercial programs with professionalism and as a solution you could see farms are doing better overall work in terms of supply the market . "
Solano : " One of the things that has Asocolflores feel that has been improved is logistics . In previous year , we have had some problems in conveyance . This year , it go very well . And one of the things that is persist in to increase is ocean shipment . I think it is not going to supersede the air freight , but they ’re going to complement each other - an important matter we comment this class . "
Challenge : Oversupply of flowersMartinez mentions the global oversupply of flowers to be a challenge to the flush industriousness . " In cosmopolitan in Ecuador , exports have fall in term of volume , and although prices have rise compared to last year , the increase level of supplying outmatch the subsist requirement , and thus prices will have to go down . This baffle a serious challenge to the bloom industry . "
Challenge : Creating consumer awarenessAnother challenge Martinez and Solano are both address is increasing the consumer knowingness of flowers and in turn the consumption . " I think it is a challenge that the diligence has had for many years " , say Solano . " As someone once said , what we require is more hoi polloi buying more flush more frequently . It is something where the industry has a big line to do yet . And to be successful I really mean that we need to shape together , because it has been said many time that our main rival is not one country against the other , the main competition is other products like hot chocolate , perfume , wine-colored , and other thing . And as always , weather condition is something that may be a challenge , as well as character . We have to better timber - not only Colombia , but all countries . The good promotion we can have is a quality flower , no matter where it come from ; because a uncollectible flower is going smart the mental image of the flowers , and the consumer who get one sorry flower will intercept purchase them . It is not that he wo n’t buy flowers from one state or another . It is the product itself in general ” .
Asocolflores organized several activities to advertise their brand ' Flowers of Colombia ' , like protection duty tour in New York , Tokyo , and London . Also , they just participated in a big graphics fairish in Miami ( FL ) , USA , namely Art Basel , where their flowers were on display at the high-up lounge . [ ALA7 ]
so as to better add the customer , Expoflores has been working on get more sixth sense in their customers ' demand . " A challenge interrelate to thrive our market percentage , especially if we look at that , at a world level , requirement is acquire . so as to tackle these and other challenges , we have already commence an fast-growing long - term program to gather and use data and engineering to get valuable insights that eventually will enable us to identify opportunities to overpower those hurdles , for example by getting a deeper agreement of customers ' needs , identifying unexampled shopping figure , finding gap between requirement and supply of specific varieties in dissimilar market place , among other key proceeds " .
Local production is raging - affecting imports?Globally , local production is hot , also in the US , Ecuador ’s and Colombia ’s main export market place . Are the import therefore decreasing ? " There are a mess of limitations to produce local products like the time of the twelvemonth you may produce them , which is in the main summertime " , says Solano . " Also the diverseness of mixture and the price of the bloom are not the same . They are plump to compete , but I think there is way for everyone , and the per capita consumption is still low in many countries , in particular the US . It is said that about 30 or 35 percent of the households in the US buy flower , so there ’s still lot of room to maturate there . "
Martinez does not see the demand for slashed bloom decreasing . " It keeps on growing at a dim charge per unit . When look deeply into each market , there are certain markets decreasing and others increasing . I believe the key point is that not only the growers , but wholesalers and market respond to what the consumer wants and values in a heyday . We can not push prices down , we all have to focalise on what the consumer desire and economic value in flowers and drive our joint scheme towards that demand . "
chief opportunitiesBoth see many chance to grow in the US . " insight is blue , so there is a stack to gain " , Solano says . And for Ecuador , the US has been the only grocery where mart parcel has increase ( 2 percentage compared to 2018 ) , compare to the other two main actor , the EU and Russia .
But they see more opportunities to grow in other country . For Colombia , China is an chance as well as a challenge , as transportation is really difficult . Also Spain and Poland seem to become more important countries , and they are eager to grow further in Japan , which is already a special market for them . " We want to volunteer them a wide variety of high caliber flowers for all the years to amount . "
Based on Expoflores ' datum , the following countries are becoming interesting market for the Ecuadorian bloom diligence : Armenia ( blush wine ) , Australia ( alstroemeria ) , Bulgaria ( roses ) , Chile ( alstroemeria ) , China ( gypsophila ) , Czech Republic ( roses ) , Japan ( aster ) , Macedonia ( roses ) , Peru ( carnation ) , Poland ( gypsophila ) , Singapore ( other summertime flowers ) , Sweden ( rose ) , Taiwan ( gypsophila ) , Vietnam ( gypsophila ) .
Proflora 2019Every other twelvemonth , Proflora takes place in Bogota , Colombia , and Solano was very proud of with this year ’s edition . ( come home here for the FloralDaily photo report ) " We had a great Proflora , which is our main promotion event . This year , we had a flock of high quality buyer attending the trade show , and also the quality of the flowers was excellent - as we heard from all the people attending the barter show . So , in general , it was great and it was one of the first times we had some lectures and seminars - commonly we do n’t have that . In the hereafter we ’re going to keep birth them " .
Outlook for 2020Solano has high promise for 2020 . " In many ways 2020 can be a keen twelvemonth also - but matter like Brexit still bring on incertitude . The UK is an significant grocery store . Even if it is not an important market to some , when something happens there , it can have an effect on the international flower market . The business deal issue with China and US is another uncertainty . However , on the face of it they are pass on an agreement and that will be of import for our market . Another trend that could be a challenge for the diligence in a certain way is sustainability . The Colombian flower industry and especially in Asocolflores , we ’ve been committed to sustainability for many many years . Florverde almost 25 years onetime , close to MPS . So that is something we need to keep in mind and everyone need to work on . Sustainability will be a key issue again for the years to come . "
But all in all Solano is irrefutable on the future tense of the industriousness . " Colombia is institutionalise to supplying efflorescence to consumer and our markets , and we keep relying on the specialty of the diversity of our portfolio that we can offer . Another affair we have to offer is not only the merchandise itself , but also that our flower cultivator are reliable suppliers of flowers . I think growers will keep rivet on increasing productivity , more than acreage . Increasing productivity is fundamental in terms of being more free-enterprise . There might be some increase in acreage , but it wo n’t be pregnant . "
According to Martinez , 2020 will be an alteration year in all growing country , but should be a steady twelvemonth in terms of market share and growth . In 2020 Expoflores will organize the second variation of their international flower craft show , namedExpo Flor Ecuador 2020 . It will be held from September 23 - 25 , 2020 in Quito , Ecuador .
For more information : AsocolfloresAugusto Solanowww.asocolflores.org
ExpofloresAlejandro Martinezwww.florecuador.com
© FloralDaily.com/Elita Vellekoop
