Category: Featured Past Articles

In recent years, the Russian government has made self-sufficiency a top priority. This has already resulted in a large number of new greenhouse projects for vegetable cultivation. But also in flowers and plants, Russia aims to become less dependent on imports. That’s not all bad news for foreign companies, however. The expansion of domestic growers opens up opportunities for suppliers from other countries, while Russia’s increasingly affluent population drives up demand for flowers and plants, both from within the country and abroad.

It’s not just vegetable greenhouses that are popping up across the country – Russian ornamental growers are doing good business too, expanding for the sake of self-sufficiency. For instance, a new greenhouse in Saint Petersburg is to meet up to 60% of the city’s demand in flowers for flowerbeds. A few months later, in June 2018, construction of a tulip greenhouse near Smolensk was announced. Other recent expansions include a rose greenhouse in North Ossetia, while a rose grower near Moscow just announced a 6 hectare expansion.

These are just a few examples that show how the flower business in Russia is stabilizing – a development also noticed by the organizers of the annual FlowersExpo, who are seeing an increasing number of domestic participants.

Opportunities for suppliers
These expansions offer chances for suppliers. One such supplier, Schneider, is seeing constant growth in the Russian market. As Zsófia Simó, marketing & communication specialist at the company,said: “Russian growers always strive to expand their businesses and Schneider youngplants is happy to provide valuable knowledge and advice in order to allow them to reach their goals.”

This sentiment was echoed on the trade show floor, where it became apparent that several growers were expanding or planning to expand their greenhouses. In turn, the breeders at the show also reported seeing an increasing interest for their varieties from the Russian growers.

Most consumers do not think ordinarily about the origin of the cut flowers they purchase. Though many people are informed, conscious consumers who do know

Lack of information sharing among the players in the fresh produce value chain has been identified as a key set back in the industry, degrading

At the China International Import Expo, flowers becomes an important exhibit and decoration in the Kenya Pavilion. Fourth Largest Fresh Cut Flower Exporter The geographical advantage of Lake Naivasha in Kenya is suitable for roses’ growth. The roses have a strong competitive edge in international flower market! In Kenya, the flower industry has become an important pillar of Kenyan economy after tourism and tea. As the world’s fourth largest exporter of fresh cut flowers, Kenya’s flower industry is mainly served for the European market, and nearly half of it is sold to the world through the Dutch auction market.

New Favorite for China’s Consumers
In recent years, the flower consumption has risen so fast that domestic supply has been unable to match the demand. The increasing consumption gives rise to the sales of high-quality imported flowers. Kenyan flowers, as medium and high-end variety in China, have become the new favorite in suppliers and consumers.

• National carrier may fly flowers through Miami, L.A. or NYC
• New air-services deal would open way for export push

Ethiopia’s burgeoning flower-growing industry is setting its sights on the U.S. in a bid to break the dominance of Latin American producers in supplying roses and other blooms to the world’s largest economy.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines Enterprise is evaluating freighter flights through Miami — the main entry point for U.S. flower imports — Los Angeles or New York, regional manager Girum Abebe said in an interview. The company currently transports stems there only in the bellies of passenger jets.

Ethiopia has become a major force in global floriculture in the past two decades, exploiting a tropical high-altitude climate that provides yearround natural light combined with hot days and cold nights perfect for bringing plants into bloom. The conditions mirror those found in the Andes, where growers in Ecuador and Colombia currently dominate flower exports to the U.S.

“Ten or 15 years ago Ethiopia was not exporting a single rose, but now we have earned our position in the world market,” Girum said. “North America has been the major importer of horticulture products from other parts of the world, so we want to have part of that.”

Ethiopian flower exports are currently focused on Europe, and have made the country Africa’s secondbiggest producer after Kenya and fourth-equal worldwide, according to Rabobank research. About 80 percent of Ethiopian production is flown to the Netherlands, the center of the global flower trade, and re-exported from there. ‘Bigger Blooms’ ‘

What is your personal back ground?
I have a degree in Bachelors of Science with Majors in Zoology and thereby entomology is what has landed me in the industry.

Why did you choose to be an agronomist?
I didn’t choose to be an agronomist, my former boss, Nikolai saw the potential in me first and send me to the field to go and do trials with a product I had pioneered for the market in his company. When I did the trials and the product worked, I was thereby told to go and market the product. Being in the field and controlling pests became interesting and I am loving every bit of it that is offering solutions to farmers.

How long have you been working with farmers?
This is my eighth year working with farmers both in flowers, cereals, vegetables and fruits.