“ We had to trash our flowers as the need completely die down when the pandemic just started in 2020 . While the start of the pandemic was challenge , we gained a new grocery store in the summertime of 2020 in the US grocery store , which was not very important for us in the past , but demand has been increase powerfully since last year , ” explain Mauricio Briceño of Turflor , a 55 ha Colombian carnation grower . He explains why he thinks the US demand for their carnations has been so strong , as well as the other benefits and the challenge that the pandemic provided Turflor . Mauricio Briceño at the IFTF in November 2019 in Vijfhuizen , the NetherlandsTrashing flowersAccording to Briceño , the pandemic has ply Turflor with many challenge . “ When the pandemic just get in March / April 2020 , the demand died down to the full stop where we almost entirely had to stop our operations . In the middle of the pandemic , the bit of flights was also reduced , which meant that there was a major step-down of lading space for flowers , so it was even challenging to embark the belittled amount of flowers that we were capable to sell . As a result , we ended up have to tear apart efflorescence , as we had no place and mean to send them . ”Gaining the US marketLuckily , the requirement has been increase and Turflor even acknowledge that they bring in a new domain of demand . While they do extradite their flowers worldwide , the US marketplace was not one of their strong . “ What is interesting is that ever since the summertime of 2020 the US market has become a really strong market for us , whereas it was n’t in the past tense . My theory is that the US food market is more focussed on aggregative food market sales through supermarkets , for instance , than other part of the man are . During the pandemic , these supermarket heyday cut-rate sale have been increase , which is what we are noticing in our demand . We are frantic about this new area of customers and are hoping to maintain it in the futurity . ”Third corona peak in ColombiaWhile the requirement for Turflor ’s flowers has been increase , there is still a number of challenge they are carry on with . “ Unfortunately , we are currently in a third COVID extremum in Colombia , with COVID cases and death really high again . This is also affect our ship’s company , as we have our farms here in Bogotá and it is a challenge to continue work while keeping our employees safe and healthy . In accession , like a lot of companies in the manufacture , we are greatly bear upon by the increase price of crude materials . It is increasing the cost of our production , which is something we need to be measured of . As a termination , an important focus for our caller is cost - efficiency . We are work with our employee to increase productiveness , and as a result everyone in the squad is more attached to see more efficiency . This way , we are aiming to produce more flush and ultimately reduce costs . Despite the challenges , we are positively charged about the future and the most important matter for us by far is that everyone stay on safe and healthy . ”For more information : TurflorMauricio Briceño[email protected]www.turflor.com
© FloralDaily.com/Elvira Oosterbaan
