BOGOT.- Colombia, the largest flower producer in America, exported more than 700 million stems for the Valentine’s Day celebration, most of them destined for the United States, the Ministry of Agriculture reported.
The figure represents 15% of the annual flower exports of the South American country, which is also the second largest supplier in the world after the Netherlands, said the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jhenifer Mojica, quoted in a statement.
Colombia stands out in the flower market for high quality roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, hydrangeas and astromelias.
After coffee, floriculture is considered the second line of agricultural exports of the country, which has more than 60 species and 1,600 varieties of flowers certified for sale abroad.
Valentine’s Day, which Colombians curiously commemorate in September, together with Mother’s Day in May, forms the seasons of greatest flower sales abroad, close to 30% of the annual volume, Mojica highlighted.
Flowers in the economy
The celebration of February 14 generates nearly 27,000 additional jobs to the 110,000 that drive this industry. “The vast majority of women and mothers are heads of households,” according to the ministry.
“The flowers represent the joint effort: the detail that is put into the product by laborious hands, the patience of thousands of women and scientific development,” said Mojica.
In the days prior to the celebration, the air logistics for transporting the flowers triples to total between 30 and 40 daily flights.
Colombia exports flowers to about 100 countries, among which the United States – the main destination -, Japan, the Netherlands, France, Spain and South Korea stand out. Between January and October 2023, Colombian flower exports represented sales of 1.75 billion dollars, according to official figures.
FUENTE: AFP
