This week, from March 7-11, growers and breeders are meeting in Bogota to visit cultivation sites near the city and learn about the new carnation varieties that will set the trends in the coming season.
The event, organized by nine important national and international breeders in coordination with the association of Colombian flowers exporters, Asocolflores, is one of the activities that are being carried out to globally promote the new varieties of Dianthus, commonly known as carnation.
The different varieties of this flower produced in Colombia are being presented to national producers and importers from the United States, Japan and Canada. One of the main attractions during the "Dianthus Week 2022" will be the presentation of more than 250 varieties that stand out for their enchanting textures and colors. This will help in determining the preferences of consumers in the coming seasons.
For Augusto Solano, president of Asocolflores, "This event is of utmost importance for the international relations of our sector and will allow buyers from different countries to interact with the carnations and with the sector’s breeders working with different crops.
According to the union leader, "this is a unique opportunity for our country to show the international community how it managed to become the world’s largest producer and exporter of carnations.”
With a total of 51,785 tons worth US$256 million, carnations consolidated in 2021 as Colombia’s second most exported cut flower species. These figures entailed a growth of 25% in terms of value and of 23% in terms of volume compared to 2020.
For Flavia Santoro, president of Procolombia, "Dianthus Week 2022" is solid evidence of how the flower sector’s hard work and resilience are allowing it to capitalize on new opportunities, turning it into an example of how national entrepreneurs and producers are essential for the country’s development.
Of the 7,665 hectares planted with flowers for export in Colombia, carnations account for 17%; that is, more than 910 hectares, out of which about 97% are in Cundinamarca. The main market for Colombian carnations is the United States, with a 44% share in terms of volume, followed by Japan and the Netherlands, with 15% and 11%, respectively.
According to Ceniflores, the Asocolflores Colombian Floriculture Innovation Center, the launch of new carnation varieties during Dianthus Week 2022 is significantly contributing to improving the competitiveness of Colombian floriculture in the face of a demanding and changing market, in which flowers are an aspirational product.
The breeders or companies organizing "Dianthus Week 2022" are:
- Ball (USA)
- Breier Cross (Israel)
- Danziger (Israel)
- Dummen Orange (The Netherlands)
- Propagar Plantas (Colombia)
- Hilverda Florist (The Netherlands)
- Santamaría (Italy)
- Sb Talee (Colombia)
- Selecta (Germany)
Asocolflores