Oct. 13, 2006

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COLLEGE STATION – U.S. Consumers buy about 60 percent of all the flowers produced in Colombia, but a floral industry executive from that country this week pleaded, "Please buy more."

Ernest Velez said the floral production/consumption relationship between Colombia and the U.S. is linked not only to the economy but to security.

Velez, who chairs the Colombian Flower Exporters Association, Asocolflores, was keynoter at the International Floriculture Distinguished Lecture at Texas A&M University.

"The American consumer is enjoying Colombian flowers that many years ago were very costly to produce in some areas of the United States or were not available all year round," Velez said. "We can provide good quality flowers 365 days a year."

He noted that the worldwide floriculture industry totals about $8.5 billion annually, and the largest portion of that is cut flowers at $4 billion. Ornamental plants account for $3.5 billion and fillers – flowers that are blended into an arrangement for the overall look – are valued at $1 billion.

Four countries – Holland, Colombia, Ecuador and Kenya – account for 83 percent of all cut flower exports, he said, while five countries – Germany, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Holland and France – are importers of almost three-fourths of all cut flower imports.

However, the purchase of cut flowers in the U.S. market is decreasing, Velez said, while supplies have continued to rise. That has resulted in lower prices paid to the producer.

"The oversupply of flowers requires action," he said. "We need to increase the per capita consumption and grow the pie, rather than fight over smaller slices. We need Americans to buy more flowers more often."

Colombian producers have diversified into a healthy floriculture industry, despite the country's negative perception stemming from the drug trade and a Marxist guerrilla leadership – both of which lead to insecurity and instability in the marketplace, he said. "The flower industry provides many, many jobs," Velez said. "These are people who, if they did not have these jobs, would either end up with the guerrillas or the drug trade. So in terms of security, its impact is very important. We are both countries trying to diminish the drug trade.

"The contribution of flowers is indirect in terms of having people busy growing flowers instead of other things," he said.

While it is difficult to maintain a legitimate industry in Colombia, Velez said, "competitive entrepreneurship" combined with unlimited land and labor, diverse climates and close proximity to the U.S. offers the chance to make a difference.

Since it began in the early 1970s, the Colombian floriculture has become the No. 1 exporter of flowers to the U.S. and the No. 2 worldwide, he said. About 1 million people in Colombia derive their income from floriculture and related industries, he added.

And while the industry makes a huge impact on Colombian lives, it also pumps up the U.S. economy, he said.

"For each $1 paid to the exporting Colombian grower, that becomes $12 to the consumer at florist shop or $8 to the consumer at the supermarket in the U.S.," he said. "The $700 million annual value of flowers exported from Colombia becomes $7 billion in the U.S."

More than 95 percent of all the altroemerias and carnations purchased in the U.S. come from Colombia, he said, as do more than 80 percent of the mums, 75 percent of the cut roses and 35 percent of other flowers.

He stressed that his industry is not only working on increasing markets in the U.S. but is also emphasizing environmentally sound growing practices and social programs such as family relations and affordable living for floral workers in Colombia.

More information about the Colombian flower industry is available at http://www.asocolflores.org