In spite of the excellent climate for flowerproduction and various government incentives, the export of Mexican flowers is still in its infancy. While Columbia and Ecuador export billions of dollars worth of flowers to the United States every year, Mexican export – even with the much shorter distance – only accounts for some hundred million dollars.
Mexico’s nationwide production of flowers is worth about 1 billion dollars a year. Only a small percentage of production is exported, mainly to the USA, with smaller amounts to Canada and Europe. One reason for the lack of successful export is the large internal market, of 112 million people. Approximately ten thousand small growers obtain reasonable prices at this market. A bouquet of flowers in Mexico City is sold for four or five dollars; more or less the same price as in the city of Amsterdam.
The biggest challenge for Mexican producers is to get their product across the border fresh and undamaged. Even though Mexican vegetable growers do it successfully, it somehow seems to be harder to achieve with carnations and roses. As few as 150 growers possess high-tech greenhouses and are equipped to produce export quality flowers.
Last year, flower growers in the Mexican State of Baja California exported 8 million dollars worth of flowers to the United States, mainly to the bordering state of California. This makes Baja California the only Mexican federation state to export almost its entire floricultureproduction.Baja California needs more greenhouses for protected floriculture.Without glass or plastic, the flowers are exposed to insects and the so-called ‘Santana winds’ that are very dry.
The American market, worth about 20 billion dollars a year, lies waiting, only a stone’s throw away.
However: Colombia considers Mexico as market for flowers…As part of their plan to diversify Colombia’s flower exportation in the face of rising import tariffs in the United States, Colombia looks to Mexico and other countries as potential destinations for their flowers,despite the fact that Mexico also cultivates many flowers for exportation.
Augusto Solano Mejia, president of the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters (Asocolflores),revealed that he is interested in exploring the possibilities, stating: “Mexico is a huge producer of flowers,but the idea is to look for a niche market.”
However, Colombian exporters will have to further research the idea, due to the fact that Mexico already has a commercial contract with the United States. Solano told reporters that the main argument for Mexico to import Colombian flowers such as roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums, is their high quality.
Sources: HoriBiz 22/08/2011 + geo-mexico.com. + Colombia Reports 26/08/2011