Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the demand for flowers has decreased rapidly. Yesterday, Royal FloraHolland already announced that 50 percent of the flowers had to be thrown away. And as 35% of global export goes via the Netherlands, growers worldwide are affected. Ecuadorian export association Expoflores, for example, informed us that the demand rapidly decreased, by close to 60 percent. "There is no demand from the Netherlands, Italy, China, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and almost all Central European countries right now", says Alejandro Martinez, CEO of this association. They expect the situation to stay this way for several weeks. "Fortunately, there is still demand from the United States, Canada, and some other European countries."
How are growers in Ecuador dealing with it?
Regarding the crop, Martinez explains that many growers in Ecuador are not processing their stems on post-harvest. "They are focusing on maintaining the crop healthy and in prime condition while the problem persists. We all hope this does not extend for more than weeks."
As a result, work hours are reduced. "All growers have applied article 47 from the Ecuadorian laws, that is a reduced labor journal (under emergency) and should adjust labor hours to what the demand is right now. This is not the only solution but we should be able to apply new mechanisms along the week or weeks to come."
What can you do as an association?
Martinez: "We are communicating with each member, listening to their troubles, ideas, proposals and incorporating them to a law project that should be discussed in Congress within the next 30 days. We need to incorporate to local laws some articles that can ease the pressure on finance and costs so that all can adjust to the new reality."
Hope
Chairman of the Board at Expoflores and General Manager at rose farm Sisapamba Jose Antonio Bueno stresses the gravity of the situation. "The situation is drastic and we will take drastic measures in our companies in order to overcome this crisis, we expect to survive this worldwide crisis and after all we expect that the markets recover fast so that we can bring our business back to life! It is important that our media partners share real info to the markets and request full support to all the people in this industry so that we can bring our industry back to normal right after the COVID-19 is controlled", he says.
For more information
Expoflores
expoflores.com