MIAMI — Miami International Airport is experiencing busy days with the arrival of millions of flowers from Colombia and Ecuador to the markets of the United States and Canada on the eve of Valentine’s Day.
About 90% of the roses and other flowers sold on the day of love pass through Miami, according to Customs. They arrive on hundreds of flights on their way to flower shops and supermarkets in the United States and Canada. In other words, about 18,000 tons of flowers pass through Miami.
“This season we brought around 460 million flowers from Ecuador and Colombia,” said Avianca Cargo vice president Diogo Elías at a press conference in Miami on Monday.
The most abundant flowers transported by the airline have been roses and carnations from Bogotá; hydrangeas and varieties of chrysanthemums from Medellín; and roses, carnations and gypsophila from Quito, Avianca said in a statement.
The Valentine’s season actually began in mid-January and ends on Wednesday. During that three-week period, 300 flights of flowers arrived in Miami, Elias said.
As of February 8, agricultural specialists had processed some 832 million cut flowers, inspected 75,000 samples and intercepted 1,100 plant pests. During the same time last year, specialists processed more than 861 million flower stems, which allowed 932 interceptions.
“It is one of the most demanding times of the year for our staff,” Alonso said.
And once the Valentine’s marathon is over, everyone can take a breath before starting preparations for the next big flower day in the United States: Mother’s Day in May.
That’s where Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists come into action. At the airport, they inspect flower bouquets to prevent pests and animal and plant diseases from entering the country.
Their job is to make sure floral imports don’t bring the exotic pests that have caused $120 billion in economic and environmental losses annually in the United States, said port director Danny Alonso. It is a colossal task.
Source: With information from AP.
