As of August 2015, Colombia has registered exports worth USD $930 million for flowers and USD $6 million for foliage. Its flower-growing sector generates more than 130 thousand formal jobs in 60 municipalities throughout the country and particularly benefits women in rural areas.

The country is now reaching new markets thanks to the investments made to promote the commercialisation of flowers.

United States is the main market for Colombian flowers. During the last 10 years, 85% of the production was exported to that market. Currently, 75% is bound for the American market and the remaining 25% is exported to 89 countries.

Colombian flowers are now exported to Australia, China, Czech Republic, Slovakia and India, among others. The president of the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters (Asocolflores), Augusto Solano, said that the consumption of Colombian flowers abroad has increased thanks to an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture to promote commercialization and sustainability.

Solano added that Asocolflores will carry out several market analyses together with specialized companies to strengthen the commercial presence of Colombian flowers at wholesale markets of United States and China, and a comparative study of flower production in the Netherlands, Colombia, Ecuador and Kenya.

Source: HortiBiz, edited and translated by Daltry D. Gárate