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JOSE GUILLERMO TORRES PARDOAgronomy Engineer

Floriculture in COLOMBIA

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REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA

Country of Flowers

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COLOMBIA IN THE WORLD

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ASTRONOMICAL SITUATION OF COLOMBIA

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ASTRONOMICAL SITUATION OF COLOMBIA

12° 30’ 40” N at Punta Gallinas in the La Guajira department

4° 13’ 30” S at the mouth of the San Antonio creek at the end of the Amazon rainforest.

66° 50’ 54” E at the eastern end of the San José island in the Black River opposite the Cocuy Rock

79º 01’ 23” W in the Mangrove Cape on the western edge

Colombia is found in the torrid zone, as a result, it has a tropical climate.

It is in the Western hemisphere

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SCOPE AND BOUNDARIESOF COLOMBIA

Land area: 1,141,748 km2. It is the 4th largest country in

South America and 7th largest in all of the Americas.

Borders: Venezuela and Brazil to the east, Ecuador and Perú to the south and Panama to the northwest.

To the north it borders countries of the Caribbean: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras and Jamaica.

To the west it borders countries along the Pacific Ocean: Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica.

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POPULATION OF COLOMBIA

Population: 43.6 million (July 2006 census)

Strategically situated between North and South America

The only country in South America on two oceans

Easily accessible to North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the asian markets

Tropical country, variety of climates and the second most biodiverse place in the Americas

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FLORICULTURE IN COLOMBIA

Colombian flowers have a prominent place in the international consumer market due to their high quality, color, beauty, size and variety. In fact, with these qualities and in only 35 years of existence, the industry has become the second largest exporter in the world accounting for 10% of total trade behind The Netherlands which accounts for a 59% share.

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FLORICULTURE IN COLOMBIA

More than 50 different types of flowers are grown in Colombia among which the following are highlighted: CarnationsChrysanthemum Cushions (Pompons)RosesMiniature carnationsChrysanthemumsAnthuriums OrchidsOther exotic varieties

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COLOMBIA – QUALITY THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

The second largest exporter of flowers in the world.

The largest exporter of carnations.

The largest exporter of flowers to the US.

In 2006, the country exported 244,194 tons of flowers to the world.

Furthermore, Colombia has the highest growth rate in flower exports in the world (2006 vs. 2004 = 37%).

According to information from the US Department of Agriculture, in 2008, Colombia exported more than 507 million roses to the US (54% of the rose market in the US).

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PRODUCTION AREA IN COLOMBIA

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PRODUCTION AREA IN COLOMBIA

Given the climate and soil conditions the Departaments with the highest production of flowers and foliage in Colombia are: Cundinamarca AntioquiaRisaraldaQuindíoCaldas Valle del Cauca.

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PRODUCTION ZONES IN COLOMBIA

REGION(Flowers)

% of Area ALTITUDE Meters (Feet)

AVG. TEMP.°C (°F)

Savannah of Bogotá(Carnations, Roses, Alstroemerias, others)

76 2600 (8000) 13 (55)

Eastern Antioquía(Chrysanthemum Cushions (Pompons)-Chrysanthemums, Hydrangeas, others)

19 2000 (6100) 17 (62)

Other areas(Anthuriums, Orchids, Heliconias, Foliage, others)

5 1600 (4900) 21 (70)

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FLOWERS EXPORTED

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COLOMBIA’s PLACEIN THE GLOBAL FLOWER MARKET

HollandColombiaKenyaEcuadorChinaIsrael

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COLOMBIA’s PRIMARY MARKETS

COLOMBIA’s PRIMARY MARKETS

The Cultivation of Tropical Flowers:

An alternative for economic, social and viable environmental

production

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COLOMBIA’s PRIMARY MARKETS

THE BOUQUET

Bouquet made in an artistic form with

orchids, exotic flowers and foliage

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FLOWER EXPORTS

• The new business trend is to register in the foreign market. • The biggest consumers of bouquets are in the US and the EU.• Close to 70% of the bouquets pre-made and sold in the US

come from Colombian farms. • The primary competitors for Colombia in tropical flower

production are Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador and Jamaica.

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ROLE OF FLOWERS IN THE COLOMBIAN ECONOMY

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SOME PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IN THE FLOWER INDUSTRY

HECTARESJOBSUS EXPORTS (MM)KILOS EXPORTED

Global Market: $USD 4 Billion

Growth%HECTARESJOBSUS EXPORTS (MM)KILOS EXPORTED

Sources: Asocolflores, DANE and DIAN

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Floriculture is the primary non-traditional agricultural export from Colombia

Colombia is the top global exporter of carnations: 182,174 jobs (98,641 direct/ 83,533 indirect)

1,000,000 Colombians depend on floriculture In 2006, exports reached USD$967 million 7,290 hectares of production 60% of the labor force is made up of women 95% of the production is exported Flowers represent 75% of the air cargo exported from Colombia

IMPORTANCE OF THE FLORICULTURE SECTOR IN THE ECONOMY

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FLOWER INDUSTRY’S COMPANIES BY SIZE

SIZE Law 905 of 2004 Nº of Companies

LARGE 37MEDIUM 140SMALL 67MICRO 3TOTAL 247

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PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS IN COLOMBIA

PRODUCTION

Perennial Crops: Roses, Carnations, Gerbera, among others.

Short-cycle crops: Chrysanthemum, Asteres, Sunflower, Callistephus, among others.

Propagation: By seed or cuttings.

Outdoor and/or greenhouse crops.

Soil or hydroponic crops.

Flower and foliage crops.

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PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS IN COLOMBIA

PRODUCTION

Propagation – Mother plant: growing where plants are planted in order to produce cuttings. Propagation – Root bank process: process in which the cuttings are taken to produce roots which gives rise to the growth and development of the final plant. Production: Rooted cuttings are taken when they are ready to be planted so that they can undergo various sub-processes like soil preparation, planting, irrigation, fertilization, among other essential ones to produce flowers. Post-Harvest: Includes the selection of flowers, packing, health and conservation treatment for exporting in specialized cold rooms.

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PRODUCTION CHARACTERISTICS IN COLOMBIA

PRODUCTION

Greenhouses: Wood, chapel, spaces, metallic, environmental controlCovers: PolyethyleneIrrigation Systems: Manual watering with a hose, Drip (automated).Soil preparation: Manual, Mechanized.Diversification of varietals/products.Production systems: Soil, hydroponic.Planting: Bare root or confinement

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COMMERCIALIZATION

MAIN HOLIDAYS IN THE US MARKET.

Thanksgiving: November

Christmas: December

Valentine’s Day: February

Easter: March/April

Mother’s Day: May

Others: Secretary’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Halloween

COMMERCIALIZATION

Other key dates for Colombian exporters

•Women’s Day (March 8): In Russia they demand roses of every color, of the largest sizes, with long stems and large heads.

•Mother’s Day (May 12): Important in the US, UK and Russia, all colors with the most popular being roses and carnations.

•June and July: Two key months because it’s the peak wedding season in the northern hemisphere. There is demand for every type of flower.

•The 4th of July in the US: Flowers painted red, white and blue - the colors of the US flag - are exported. They are exported in bouquets.

•September: Season for starting school in Russia. It’s important because students take flowers to their teachers.

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TRADE

Exporters(Producers)

Retailers(Florists)

Supermarkets

Importers Wholesalers

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THANK YOU