Ecuadorian roses are already exported for the Valentine's season

0 Surprised 0 Happy 5 Business Editorial (I) In a cold room, at two degrees of temperature, hundreds of roses are stored that are ready for export. In the coming days they will be sold in the United States, Europe and Russia on the occasion of Valentine's Day. At the Santa Fe farm, located in Pifo (northeast of Quito), they began preparing for this season since August of last year. Orders from international customers arrived starting in December and are still being received. The third week of January began the cutting of the freedom variety rose, which is characterized by having a large, robust bud, with a bright and intense red color. The workers start the day at 07:00, collect the roses from the crops and then take them to a hydration phase, where the flowers are cleaned of possible bugs or bacteria and their contamination is avoided. Other employees are then in charge of sorting and packaging the product according to the length of the stem and the customer's order. Next, they go to the cold room, from where they are collected to be transported in trucks to the Mariscal Sucre airport. Shipments abroad leave the air terminal more frequently during the afternoon and evening hours. Valentine's Day is the most important date for the flower sector, since around 30% of sales throughout the year are concentrated in that season; It sells more than on Mother's Day, according to the National Association of Flower Producers and Exporters (Expoflores). Alejandro Martínez, president of the union, says that this year exports began on January 18. Some 238 flights are planned. For this season, production was delayed due to the constant cold and rainy weather that has been felt in the flower-growing areas of Pichincha since December. This also delayed ocean shipments. Producers face a challenge of concentrating exports by the end of the season, which will occur between January 29 and February 4.

The sector's expectation for this season is to export around 17,800 tons, 9% less than the volume shipped in 2020. The United States and Russia are the main destinations. The above is a consequence of the global recession caused by the pandemic, which affected the traditional Ecuadorian flower market (florists, events, etc.) with a drop of 40% in 2020. The majority of producers depend on this segment. Surprised by the coronavirus crisis, the flower industry closed last year with a decrease of 8% and approximately 17% fewer hectares produced. In Santa Fe, efforts were focused on improving the cultivation process of the freedom variety and other types of flowers were stopped. In addition, commercial strategies abroad were reinforced, which has allowed a good part of the production to be located, described Gustavo Alzate, advisor to the flower farm. Although the rose is the star product of the season, Valentine's Day also drives demand for the gypsophilia, a white summer flower, which is considered the ideal complement to the rose. The Flodecol farm specializes in this species and has six varieties of gypsophilia. Next week exports to the United States and then to Europe will begin, says Juan José Albuja, president of the company. Albuja points out that the pandemic caused a drop of approximately 30% for this segment. Although consumption has improved in recent months, there is still uncertainty. The slow recovery of the market has made it possible to rehire personnel who were laid off due to the crisis.