Lack of spaces will stop the export of 2,500 tons of flowers for Valentine's Day, says Expoflores

The guild proposes to the authorities to promote focused import to generate spaces for product export.

The lack of spaces and flights hits the Florícola sector on one of the most important dates of the year: Valentine's Day. The celebration represents 30 % of the annual sales of the sector.

The National Association of Flower Producers and Exporters of Ecuador (Expoflores) pointed out that, due to the logistics jam,They would be about 2,500 tons of flowers that cannot be exported for that holiday.That is, about 70 flights less.

Alejandro Martínez, Executive President of Expoflores, explained that the trucks that transport the product expect between 26 and 38 hours to embark. In fact, this was something that the guild recorded since January 28 at Quito airport.

The problem, Martínez said, is thatSince August 2021, a large gap between imports and exports was marked."In 2008, for example, we had five metric tons for an importation, now we are 13 to 1," he said.

The leader said that from the sector measures were implemented to try to alleviate the lack of spaces, but did not solve the entire problem since the demand for Valentín increased by 30 % on what was recorded in 2021. For example, Exporters bet on new ways of packing flowers to adjust the weight per square meter. Also, include new types of boxes.

An additional factor for which the demand has not been covered is because the production of flowers fell at the end of the previous year. "That was reflected in the sector sold in 2021 only $ 800 million when the projection was to reach $ 900 million," Martínez said.

Esteban Chiriboga, president of Eco Roses,He explained that in his specific case the percentage that may not be exported will be 10 %, which is equivalent to about 25 tons. To this problem, he said, the affectation to sales prices and the increase in the cost of freight must be added.

"It has been a great frustration this year, in which we could have exported a much higher volume at competitive prices. The lack of load space and its high cost, finally, have influenced the sale prices of the flower and, therefore, a reduction in sales prices," Chiriboga explained.

The exporter also stated that by the innumerable problems derived from logistics the quality is affected. "The flowers are a perishable and delicate product, they require appropriate handling within cold chains and optimal times. Logistic operators collapsed in their product management and replied shipments, keeping hundreds of trucks without downloading the product for 24, 36 and up to 48 hours."

In that sense, Chiriboga said, this inappropriate management of logistics processes generates impacts:Product quality affectation, delays in the delivery of this to customers and even orders.

According to the head of Expoflores, the production that will be ready in these days is probably not export for Valentine's Day, so it is likely to be destined for composting.

The guild said that the authorities have been proposedPromote focused import to solve the problem that the sector is going through.This means importing products that strategically generate spaces.