EXPORTING VIA THE SEA OR THE SKY?

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BUSINESS BIG INTERVIEW

EHPEA-President Tewodros Zewdie SMART GREENHOUSE CONTROLS

For energy saving and environment

A I P H W O R L D G R E E N C I T Y AWA R D S

India’s Hyderabad named Grand Winner for 2022

EXPORTING VIA THE SEA OR THE SKY? Which travel mode is logistically attractive to operators?

AIPH INTERNATIONAL GROWER OF THE YEAR

2023

The AIPH International Grower of the Year (IGOTY) awards ceremony will take place on 24 January 2023 during IPM Essen, the world’s premier horticultural trade show at Messe Essen, Germany.

Organised by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), the awards recognise best practice in horticulture by the top ornamental production nurseries from around the globe, celebrating the expertise and energy they give to horticulture.

www.aiph.org/event/igoty-2022

AIPH International Grower of the Year 2022, Metrolina Greenhouses

Sponsored by:

Partners of FloraCulture International FloraCulture International encourages the pursuit of joint activities in areas of mutual interest with national, and international societies, and organisations.

Agreements have been reached between FCI and leading growers and trade associations worldwide. FCI is proud to work in collaboration with:

F R O M T H E ED I TO R

FCI Editor, Ron van der Ploeg

Focusing on bloom instead of gloom Trade show organisers have been cancelling, postponing, rescheduling, renegotiating, remodelling, and recalibrating for over two years. For all that resilience, it is interesting how quickly the post-Covid-19 recovery is occurring among horticultural trade exhibitions in Europe The positive momentum began in June 2022, with the world’s premier horticultural tech show Greentech in Amsterdam, finally back in full format and is now continuing with two major events set for the second week of November in the Netherlands.

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Trade Fair Aalsmeer will take place for three days, from Wednesday, 9 November to Friday, 11 November, at Royal FloraHolland Aalsmeer.

Camaraderie, team spirit and floral innovation will help keep morale high, even amid the well-known challenges our industry faces.

While on its corporate level Trade Fair Aalsmeer host Royal FloraHolland urges the government to ramp up its support for horticultural SME production and trade, it will not specifically cater for energy or other crisis management conferences. Regardless, it will focus on inspiration, togetherness, interactions, and opportunities and bloom instead of gloom.

The same inspiration and solution-based stories will be heard at the forthcoming International Floriculture Trade Fair (IFTF), taking place at the Greater Amsterdam Expo (formerly known as Haarlemmermeer Expo) between 9-11 November. In a ‘prelude’ to the show, the world’s second Flowers by Sea conference will open 24 hours before IFTF on Tuesday morning, 8 November.

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The topic of sea-freighted flowers is our cover story this month, and our correspondent Marta Pizano from Colombia reached out to global experts in the field. For over a decade, cut flower transportation has revolved around sea freight and whether it will replace air freight.

Lower costs, lower carbon footprint and less cumbersome access to distant markets are essential factors in favour of sea freight. However, there are still many obstacles to overcome. Pages 14-17.

Looking with its global partners to trial sea freight is the Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association (EHPEA). In an exclusive interview, president Mr Tewodros Zewdie says EHPEA is closely following the developments in sea freight concerning perishables internationally and speaks about a vast range of other industry-related topics. Page 8.

From Australia and Italy comes an uplifting story about potted waxflower. This relatively new product is quickly gaining momentum in Europe thanks to a blooming partnership between Helix Australia and Italy’s wholesale powerhouse and cooperative FloraToscana. Page 20.

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NOVEMBER 2022 VOLUME 32 NUMBER 11

CO N T E N T S

COVER STORY

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THE OCEAN VERSUS THE SKY Which transport mode is logistically attractive to operators?

FEATURES 20

PATIO PLANTS The waxflower wow che bello factor.

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INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS FLOWERS & PLANTS The 70th edition will be launched at TFA.

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SMART GREENHOUSE CONTROLS For energy savings and the environment.

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AIPH WORLD GREEN CITY AWARD WINNERS India’s city of Hyderabad named Grand Winner.

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CUT FLOWERS Floritec steals the Chrysanthemum show in Medellín

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VOICES 04 07

FROM THE EDITOR WORKING AS A FLORAL JUDGE AT FLORIADE WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE

IN EVERY ISSUE 06 08 29 34 37

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WORLD NEWS VIS-À-VIS GREEN CITY POST EXPO-SURE SAVE THE DATE

FloraCulture International (FCI) is an independent trade magazine with the largest circulation for a world publication of its kind. FCI is published for the ornamental horticulture industry by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH). It is published 11 times per year worldwide. Editorial Team: Rachel Anderson, William Armellini, Spence Gunn, Ilona Mars, Marta Pizano, Ron van der Ploeg, Rachel Wakefield. Contact: info@floracultureinternational.com. Address: FloraCulture International, Horticulture House, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RN, United Kingdom. Editor: Ron van der Ploeg, ron@floracultureinternational.com Worldwide Advertising Office: Angie Duffree, angie@floracultureinternational.com T. +31 6 403 277 35. Magazine designer: Rachel Wakefield. Cover image: Photo by AdobeStock. AIPH ©2022 FloraCulture International magazine. All rights reserved.

Publisher is not liable for the content of the advertisements. Photographs by permission of copyright owners.

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WORLD NEWS

GERMANY & UNITED KINGDOM

Great Britain to be partner country at 2023 IPM Essen Great Britain is a partner country at the IPM Essen plant show, taking place at Messe Essen between 24-27 January.

A strong contingent of breeders, tech firms and horticultural suppliers will fly the British flag in the UK pavilion built by the Commercial Horticultural Association (CHA) in collaboration with the British Department for International Trade (DIT) and the British Embassy in Berlin.

Pat Flynn, Trade Association Manager CHA, feels proud to be working with the organisers of IPM ESSEN in representing Great British Horticulture there in 2023.

She says, “As the partner country for this important international show, we are promoting the expertise, diversity, and innovative technology that Great Britain can bring to the world and commercial horticulture.

We look forward to a very busy show showcasing what Britain does best.”

Many new plants will be travelling to Essen: Whetman Plants International is launching two compact, fragrant, bee-friendly and drought-tolerant Choisya at IPM Essen: Choisya x dewitteana ‘Little Bee’ and Choisya x dewitteana ‘Little Honey Bee’.

There will be new compact Clematis cultivars from the Raymond J. Evison programme, such as ‘The Duchess of Cornwall’, ‘Tsukiko’, ‘Ravel’, ‘Issey’ and ‘Poseidon’ will be shown by Guernsey Clematis’ Nursery.

Also exhibiting will be Hampshire’s Fairweather’s Nurseries that specialises in growing Agapanthus.

There will be more than 50 varieties from the UK presented at IPM ESSEN 2023.

In addition to plants, trade visitors can also expect innovations in the field of

technology and equipment: from environmentally friendly and growthpromoting reusable pots from Caledonian Trees and cost-effective LED lighting solutions, especially for horticulture from INDO Lighting to customisable labels, packaging, and sales materials from PPC Labels and sustainably produced gardening supplies from Tyne Moulds & Machinery.

The German-English International Horticultural Forum on 26 January 2023 at 2pm will include presentations by British and German experts who will shed light on current industry topics.

Visitors will gain a detailed

insight into British horticulture and can talk directly to the speakers.

Panellists include Raymond J. Evison of Guernsey Clematis Nursery, Patrick Fairweather of Fairweather’s Nurseries and Matt Appleby, editor of Horticulture Week, the UK’s leading horticultural media outlet.

The CHA will invite a delegation of British growers to IPM Essen 2023.

Entertainment typical of the country will also be provided, including live British music.

In 2016, the UK was also a partner country at IPM Essen.

For more information and tickets, visit: www.ipm-essen.de

AUS TR ALIA

Australian nursery industry grows for four straight years For the fourth consecutive year, the value and production of plants sold in Australia have continued to grow, reinforcing the nursery industry’s position as one of the most valuable contributors to the Australian agriculture industry.

According to the Nursery Industry Statistics 2020-21 report, the Australian nursery industry is valued at approximately $2.8 billion and employs almost 25,000 people in every state and territory of Australia.

Australian growers produce a variety of green life, from ornamentals, trees, and shrubs to starter plants for fruit and vegetable production and stock for landscaping,

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forestry, and revegetation.

With over 2.3 billion plants produced and sold across the country, the green life industry is the backbone of Australian horticulture.

Plants have a direct and positive impact on the environment and Australian food production and play a significant role in community health and well-being, especially in our growing cities.

VOICES NE THERL ANDS

The inaugural spring edition of Plantarium|Groen-Direkt Two-thirds of the floor space at the inaugural spring edition of Plantarium|Groen-Direkt, which will be held on the 7-8 February 2023, has been sold.

So far, more than 150 growers have booked a stand.

The spring edition of Plantarium|Groen-Direkt will begin a new selling season with the green sector’s leading plant nurseries, horticultural suppliers and hardware companies showcasing their latest products and services.

Visitors can find thousands of products in all shapes and sizes on display and plenty of opportunities to place orders directly at Groen-Direkt’s Spring Fair.

This Spring Fair is arguably Europe’s largest wholesale plant/nursery stock sales event featuring 5,000 sample batches of plants on raised beds and a ‘Danish trolley fair’. The latter allows Groen Direkt’s 1,000 active European buyers to buy plants in

smaller quantities per Danish trolley layer.

Two purpose-built pavilions will host a wide range of potted bulbs, pansies and bedding plants and examples of budget-friendly marketing concepts.

The first edition of the Plantarium|Groen-Direkt Fair took place on 24 and 25 August. The AIPH-approved horticultural trade exhibition provided an opportunity to see the newest plants and reconnect with growers and horticultural suppliers.

Registration for the spring edition of Plantarium|GroenDirekt is now open. Visit www. For more information and to reserve your spot until 1 December 2022.

PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt – The Green Retail Fair (plantariumgroendirekt.nl)

‘WORKING AS A FLORAL JUDGE AT FLORIADE WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE’ Ilona Mars was one of the 40 volunteering industry professionals at work during Expo 2022 Floriade. Until 9 October 2022, she spent much of her time in Floriade’s Green House, judging hundreds of floral presentations from national and international participants vying for the top awards in the 13 alternating flower and plant competitions held throughout the six-month Expo.

“I am 25 years old and represent the next generation of florists. Since completing an advanced national certificate in floristry, I have worked as a part-time florist at a high-end flower shop in my hometown Ommen, Netherlands. To make ends meet, I work as a teaching assistant.

However, floristry is my passion, and this Spring, I set up my Ploon Floral Concepts business in Hellendoorn.

In 2021, I competed in the Netherlands’ Junior Floristry Competition.

I was awarded the fifth position in a group of 11 enthusiastic finalists.

The event organisers wished to connect us to top-class floral events so that we could gain hands-on experience.

One of the experiences on offer was to serve as a professional judge at this year’s Floriade in Almere. This was the perfect challenge because this was about judging tried and existing flowers but also seeing exciting new varieties and assessing them on exclusivity, uniformity, and application value within flower arranging.

The latter interested me more because it would allow me to use my expertise productively.

USA

IFPA ignites industry in Orlando International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) hosted its first-ever Global Produce & Floral Show (GPFS) in Orlando, Florida. The show is the only event globally that brings together the entire global supply chain for produce and floral.

With just over one buyer for every three attendees, the show offered a critical opportunity to make connections and create new partnerships. Attendees from approximately 40 countries attended the show, creating a buzz of energy from the

education sessions to the show.

The Expo floor opened a day earlier than in previous years, allowing attendees to visit with Business Solutions Providers and technology partners. They joined a record-breaking 217 first-time exhibitors sharing their products this year.

I served as a volunteer judge, presenting at five of Floriade’s Best in Green House Competitions. I joined forces with many other judges from different disciplines in the industry.

Teaming up with growers, wholesalers, breeders, and educators gave me great insights. It made me sometimes wonder how well the other partners upstream of the supply chain are aware of the florist’s needs and the end consumer.

The judging work at Floriade led to meaningful discussions for me about, for example, the proper maturity stage of cut flowers. Growers also were surprised and happy to hear my point of view.

When I looked at the different floral arrangements in preparation, I loved the beauty, but I was also attracted to the ‘flaws’ like a twisty stem and distorted flower head. I saw that not-so-picture-perfect flowers could also be great fun to work with in a floral display. Because, in the end, it is all about creating innovative arrangements that provide the wow factor among consumers.”

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Tewodros Zewdie, President of the Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association (EHPEA).

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FROM GRASS TO GRACE: How EHPEA put Ethiopia’s floriculture on the world map In this interview with Tewodros Zewdie, president of the Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association (EHPEA) reflects on the past nine years at the country’s sole trade

AUTHOR:ON VAN DER PLOEG. PHOTO: RON VAN DER PLOEG, PE T TERIK WIGGER S, AND E THIOPIAN AIRLINES

association for horticulture and reflects on what the future might hold.

T

ewodros Zewdie is well-known as president at EHPEA; industry insiders tell FCI that under his ‘reign’, EHPEA has grown into the country’s leading and professionally led trade organisation, serving as a shining example for other sectors of the economy.

However, recently, EHPEA and its members have had to absorb the shocks of the global health crisis and the logistics disruption that followed while dealing with the ongoing threat of ethnic tensions and violence.

Zewdie is proud of the proactive work EHPEA has done, championing the interests of the country’s horticulture sector and working with the support of members, the government, and all other stakeholders within the industry. EHPEA has provided a voice for the sector during rapid market changes.

FloraCulture International: What’s your view on the health of Ethiopia’s flower industry?

Tewodros Zewdie: “The Ethiopian floriculture industry though young, has kept on scoring glittering achievements. Ethiopia is now the second-largest African flower exporter and among the top four exporting countries globally. It has also become a strategic industry at the national level as it is the second leading FOREX generator in the country, next to coffee from the agri-sector and the third leading export item nationally, next to coffee and gold. It has created relatively decent employment opportunities for Ethiopians as well. Most of the employment opportunity beneficiaries, nearly 80 per cent, are females. Thus, it is also contributing to the empowerment of women.

We can talk a lot about the trickle-down effects of the industry.

“The sector is guided by mandatory regulation from the government and a voluntary Code of Practice with different tiers of compliance levels.

“The synergy among the government, investors, EHPEA, academic and research institutions, development partners, standards and the like have helped to lay

solid foundations for Ethiopian-based flower growers’ competitiveness and sustainability.

We should remember that Ethiopia has a competitive and comparative advantage for producing and exporting flowers. In addition to the favourable agroecology, generous incentives, and other pertinent factors, the cost of doing business is relatively better than in other countries. This is helping to lure more investors into the industry.”

What are the longer-run consequences of the pandemic to our industry?

“Initially, the pandemic posed an existential threat to the industry. Especially between March and April 2020, it was a critical period as demand and prices crumbled substantially. Then, after we had made a scenario analysis and presented our proposal to the government to contain any possible damage to the industry, almost all our requests were addressed. When borders started reopening, Ethiopian flowers were all over Europe, and farms became resilient. Due to the proactive engagement of EHPEA with the government, we have substantially reduced the potential adverse impact

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on the Ethiopian floriculture industry. If you draw a comparison, Ethiopian-based growers were better resilient than other countries. There was no increment in airfreight, no interruption of cargo freighters to Europe and other timely decisions helped a lot. There was, for example, no layoff of workers.

Covid-19 has impacted perishable logistics. There is some tendency to move from airfreight to sea freight in Kenya, for example. The cost of input has also skyrocketed due to the disruption in the supply chain.

The cost of doing business has increased while the price is relatively static. We have also witnessed delays in the deliveries of containers. Though Covid-19 has disrupted many supply chains and livelihoods globally after its peak, it was a blessing in disguise for the usual down seasons.”

What changes do you see in the geographical concentration of farms?

Superlative epithets, such as Africa’s second largest and the world’s fourth largest flower exporter, are used to describe Ethiopia’s flower industry. How justified is the use of such superlatives in representing today’s industry?.

“Kunzilla is located in Amhara, about 600 km from Addis. It is about 53 km from Amhara’s regional capital.

The designated land for floriculture in Kunzilla is 500 ha, with the potential to expand on thousands of hectares. Currently, two of the farms have started production, and the others are in preparation. When Kunzilla and Bahir Dar area farms start, full-capacity production airfreight service is expected from Bahir Dar International Airport. The area is super fit for the production of flowers. Many of the top-notch industry experts have commended it.”

“Ethiopia is a late entrant into the supply chain of flowers. If numbers talk, in 2004, the total export value of flowers was around 20 million USD. In the last couple of years, Ethiopia is generating more than half a billion USD annually from the export of flowers. Relatively, it is a breakthrough. In line with this, Ethiopian Airlines has also boosted its capacity to uplift and handle perishable logistics. In the past, its operation was with 757 and MD 11 freighters. Now, it operates more than ten 777 cargo freighters, and you can find flowers in many of the bellies of Ethiopian passenger aircraft. The flower industry’s relationship with Ethiopian airlines is symbiotic.

“It is a solid fact to say Ethiopia is Africa’s secondlargest exporter of cut flowers, and it is also among the top four leading exporters in the world. In the assertion, I do not see any mountain making out of a molehill.”

May we invite you to dive deeper into the stats?

“According to the government data, Ethiopia has managed to generate 541 million USD from the floriculture industry. We do have a total production area of nearly 2,000 hectares. The industry has also created employment opportunities directly and indirectly for 20,0000 Ethiopians. It has also helped in the knowledge transfer of modern agriculture. The sector contributes to the mushrooming of micro and small enterprises in different floriculture clusters and more than 10 per cent of the national export value.

Product volumes have increased substantially in the last fifteen years. In 2004/2005, the total stem of flowers exported from Ethiopia was 83 million, worth 12.6 million USD. In the 2021/22 Ethiopian fiscal year, the total value generated from the export of flowers was 541 million USD, and billions of stems were exported, according to our Ministry of Agriculture. In the last years, floriculture export has shown exponential growth.”

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“The highest concentration of farms is in the rift valley, mainly in Oromia regional state. Other farms are clustered in Sebeta, Holleta and Sululta, which are on the outskirts of Addis. We have farms operating in the country’s Amhara regional state in the Northern part. Some of the farms are in the Southern part of the country. As a country, we have many areas suitable for flower production. We have quite adverse agroecology ranging from more than 4,000 metres above sea level to 150 metres below sea level.”

In 2019, the Ethiopian government revealed plans to expand the country’s flower-producing area with 500ha in Kunzilla, 300 km north of Addis. What is the state of that project?

You have been critical of the federal and regional authorities regarding land provision; why was that?

“Had it not been for the support of federal and regional authorities, the industry would not have scored such achievements. The land tenure system in Ethiopia is different from other countries. According to the

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mother law of the land, i.e., the constitution, the land belongs to the people and the government, and the actual administration is with the government. So, the government plays a pivotal role in land provision. It also determines the lease rate, which has been quite attractive for investors as the prime intention is to catalyse investment and job creation. It is not to collect lease money from the land.

“We have proactively structured platforms with the regional and federal governments to discuss sectoral issues, including land. There is also a voracious appetite from our members to expand. Thus, we press on the regional government to provide more land.”

In Ethiopia’s floriculture industry, the queen of flowers, the rose, continues to reign supreme. But what important changes have you seen regarding crop diversification?

“In addition to roses, now you can find different types of flowers, including carnations, Hypericum, Alstroemeria, Gypsophila, Veronica, Hypericum, Freesia, Statice, and the like. Ethiopia is amazingly blessed to grow a wide variety of flowers of superb quality. The diversification is ongoing.”

more than 100 destinations globally.

Thus, the lion’s share of the exports is still going to Europe. We are also beneficiaries of the Everything But Arms (EBA) Scheme of the European Union. It is a scheme to encourage export from developing countries without tariff and quota.”

What strikes you most when evaluating Ethiopian cut flower pricing over the past 20 years?

“There has been a noticeable improvement in the quality of Ethiopian-produced flowers, and the price has also increased in the last 20 years. Special attention is given to quality. As a result, better price is secured by the flower farms. Ethiopian-based growers are raising quality standards in many parameters, reflected in the certification audit results. As the saying goes, “What is Measured, Counts.

These days, however, the cost of doing business is increasing with the substantial increment in input costs, but the selling price remains almost static, affecting the farms.”

Is your client base changing?

Traditionally, the Netherlands has played an important role as a logistic hub for flowers from Ethiopia. Will it continue to stay in this dominant position?

“Well, the primary market is Europe. Nearly 80 per cent of the total export is destined for Europe, basically to the Netherlands. Some market diversification is going on to reach the Northern hemisphere countries, i.e. the USA and Canada. Our members are also exporting to Far East countries like Japan and Korea. The Middle East market is also showing growth in the last five years.

Ethiopian-grown flowers are also delivered as far afield as Malaysia and Australia. The Chinese market was developing well before the pre-pandemic, but now it has not grown. Ethiopian Airlines operated more than 36 flights to China to different locations, which was quite an interesting opportunity. Ethiopian Airlines is a blessing to the industry as it can deliver flowers to

“The Netherlands is an important hub for the flower trade internationally. The market platforms are correctly organised with guaranteed payment systems.

There is an innovative and efficient perishable logistical arrangement. The private and public stakeholders work in a golden triangle or triple helix model. There are well-designed platforms for the cross-fertilisation of knowledge and experience in the floriculture industry.

This has helped Ethiopian-based growers a lot.

Many Dutch growers brought their deep knowledge, experience, market linkage and technology to Ethiopia.

There has also been broad support from the Netherlands government to ensure sustainable growth of the floriculture industry in Ethiopia.

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All these factors combined give the Netherlands a competitive advantage, which will continue in the years to come. We should not forget that some countries are also trying to set up similar market platforms like the Netherlands.”

An estimated 90 per cent of Ethiopian-grown ornamentals are being sold at Royal FloraHolland.

What are the risks of such strong dependence on a Dutch marketplace?

“Many of the flower growers in Ethiopia are members of Royal FloraHolland. They have also grown by working with the auction. It is an important platform.

Direct sales are also increasing from Ethiopia as well.

New market destinations are also coming into the picture. What is important is working in synergy with Royal FloraHolland and other pertinent supply chain actors to create more demand for flowers globally.

Ethiopia has ample potential to supply volumes to Royal FloraHolland and other destinations. All the supply chain actors should work together to create more flower demand. We must focus on the millennials as their consumption pattern is changing. We see more aggressive promotions for chocolate and other items, not flowers. All supply chain actors should join hands to promote flowers. If that is the case, we can avert the risks.”

When FCI magazine interviewed former EHPEA chairman Tsegaye Abebe in 2009, he said the country aimed to boost flower exports to one billion USD in five years. What is the main reason this target hasn’t been reached yet?

“Well, the 2008 economic depression shocks, the political turbulence that we passed through starting from the end of 2015, Covid-19 and other factors have hampered the realisation of the one billion targets.”

On 26 February 2009, EHPEA presented the first ten certificates to Ethiopian flower farms that complied with the Code of Practice for Sustainable Flower Production (CoP) requirements. You are also a proud member of FSI. Why are sustainably grown flowers so important, and what important steps have been made since? ““We are firmly committed to advancing sustainability as it helps improve the quality of life for all, protects our ecosystem and preserves natural resources for coming generations. We have made remarkable achievements in reinforcing the capacity of EHPEA to design and execute initiatives targeted at sustainability. Within EHPEA’s organogram are dedicated work units with top-notch sustainability experts. In addition, we have also incorporated several parameters into our Code of Practice to ensure sustainability in a very structured manner. To reduce the water footprints of flower farms, we have managed to build 36 used water treatment plants so far, and ten are now under construction.

The constructed treatment plants have treated nearly 60 million cubic meters of water. Currently, the highest concentration of constructed used water treatment plants or wetlands is found in Ethiopia. Moreover, we have also played a crucial role in developing a national standard for horticulture effluent. On top of that, we

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have trained more than 100 professionals on used water treatment plant design, construction, and maintenance.

We have actively promoted and implemented IPM technologies to reduce traditional pesticides. Our interventions have contributed to the industry’s registration and application of several biological beneficials. The coverage of IPM, particularly biological control, has increased to nearly 60 per cent in the industry, and in the major flower-producing clusters, it is more than 75 per cent. We have also executed CSR projects with EHPEA, having trained 50,000 farm workers and management staff on sustainability issues over the past 15 years.

We have executed everything I mentioned in collaboration with our partners, including the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, FSI, IDH, bbw and others.”

With a population of over 108 million, Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous nation. Located in the Horn of Africa, it has a total land area of 1.14 million km2 with over 11 million hectares of irrigable land. The country’s vast surface and groundwater resources make it ‘The Water Tower of East Africa’. Meanwhile, the UN has warned that there’s an urgent need to feed people in the droughtstricken Horn of Africa. What do you think the country’s horticulture industry can do to help fight the food crises in a meaningful way?

“You have raised a very crucial question. I can say we have all the natural variables to ensure nutrition security. Nonetheless, we have challenges in knowledge, experience, and financial resources. The horticulture industry is an important instrument to ensure nutrition security and food sovereignty as it contributes to better livelihoods of households. Relatively farmers can earn better income from horticulture crops than grains. We have stunting challenges, and horticulture can contribute to overcoming them. Ethiopia has an exceptional comparative and competitive advantage for producing and exporting horticulture produce.

This will help to fetch better, more hard currency and bridge the imbalance in our imports and exports. Thus, horticulture has a multitude of benefits for us. The government has also invested more than 25 billion birrs in constructing Integrated Agro-Industrial Parks (IAIPs)

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in different parts of the country. The processors in the parks are looking for a consistent supply of horticulture inputs. These all will contribute to better nutrition security with affordable prices.”

Ethiopia is currently confronting three economic challenges: its debt burden, foreign exchange woes stemming from poor sector performance, and a decline in remittances. One could argue that the benefits from 10 years ago have turned into disadvantages. This begs the question of whether Ethiopia’s flower industry is an interesting option to invest in for new companies.

“Irrespective of the various challenges at this juncture, the cost of doing business for the floriculture industry is quite competitive in Ethiopia. It is worth it for investors to invest in Ethiopia. Energy cost is skyrocketing in Europe. In Ethiopia, you have sunshine throughout the year for free, electricity cost is among the cheapest in the world, investment incentives are quite generous, and proximity to European and Middle East market destinations is better than other locations. Floriculture is labour-intensive, and in Ethiopia, you can get a highly qualified and non-qualified labour force at a reasonable cost.”

What do you enjoy most about being EHPEA’s chief executive?

“Well, I enjoy creating a better business climate for horti-preneurs in Ethiopia. The support is not only for the investors. It is all about making Ethiopia competitive internationally. I am successful in that. But it does not mean that everything is a bed of roses. I am glad that I have led the professionalisation of EHPEA to cater quality service to members and non-members in the horticulture industry. It is one of the continent’s vibrant business membership organisations (BMO).

I am super happy to strategise the resilience of horticulture farms during the political turbulence starting from the end of 2015. During the Covid-19 peak period, the strategies I devised also helped to have resilient farms in Ethiopia. The sustainability initiatives that we designed have also become exemplary.

I am proud of the cluster minimum wage schemes.

We have significantly promoted the Ethiopian horticulture brand internationally. EHPEA is a learning organisation with energetic and talented young leaders and staff members. I am happy to work with them.”

‘THE USUAL WAY OF DOING BUSINESS HAS NO FUTURE. I HOPE THAT THE AUCTION WILL SWIM WITH THE TECHNOLOGICAL TIDE’

Regarding logistics and floral shipments, good progress has been made in cold chain management with the opening of state-of-the-art perishables centre with a future 1.2 million tons capacity. What more is needed to boost the country’s logistic performance?

“Currently, Ethiopian Cargo Terminal is Africa’s largest and one of the high-tech fitted cargo terminals with more than one million tons annual capacity. The airfreight rate is also the cheapest in comparison with other flower-producing countries. The professionalism is also proved to be to the expectation of the flower growers. There are changes in the trends and patterns of perishable logistics, especially after the emergence of Covid-19 since airfreight cost has increased. Sea freight is coming into the picture. So far, our airfreight cost is competitive, and we are quite happy with it. But the world is dynamic. You never know what the future brings, and we are looking to trial sea freight with our partners. We are closely following the developments in the sea freight regarding perishables internationally.”

Regarding international trade flows, industry experts predict that trade will become increasingly direct by omitting the Dutch flower auctions and the Netherlands’ logistical hub. What’s your stand on this?

“Technology is changing the usual way of doing business. Floral e-commerce is increasing. Convenience and an easy way of doing business are important to consumers. The usual way of doing business has no future. I hope that the auction will swim with the technological tide. And that is important.”

What achievement are you most proud of?

“There are many achievements that I can mention, among others, by leading the evidence-based policy advocacy interventions as we have influenced several policies, regulations, and directives to create smooth functioning of the industry.

It is leading the professionalisation of EHPEA, upgrading its training department into an accredited Tech and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centre, designing the resilience of conflict-affected farms, and strategising the industry’s resilience mechanisms during the pandemic.

Finally, we turned the immense challenges posed by Covid-19 into opportunities. I am proud to strategically lead the sustainability interventions, including the used water treatment plants, biological control interventions, and gender interventions. We have comprehensive partnerships with several local and international institutions, which are imperative to give more muscle to EHPEA.”

How did the Ethiopian flower industry change the country’s image?

“Ethiopia’s name in the past was associated with wrongly constructed adjectives. The emergence of the floriculture industry, to some extent, has helped to promote the true image of the country. It has helped to promote a better country’s image as the flower industry emerged from grass to grace.”

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THE OCEAN VERSUS THE SKY: Which is logistically attractive to operators?

For over a decade, cut flower

KENYA – GROWING FAST

transportation has revolved around

After listening to interventions from key players in Kenya during the IFTEX show, held in Nairobi this past June, we reached out to Carl Lorenz, managing director for Maersk in Eastern Africa. “If we were to calculate the number of containers needed to load a year’s worth of flowers from Kenya, we would be looking at about 90 million stems or 325 containers per week,” he said, adding that the main ports in Europe, where flowers are shipped to, are Rotterdam and London Gateway.

However, there are hurdles to overcome, such as vessel berthing congestion and delays in EU and UK ports, often associated with weather, labour challenges, or other reasons exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, they have dedicated staff to follow up on and correct these problems, as Maersk is aware of the clear need for a sustainable transportation option for cut flowers. Lorenz said, “The question is no longer whether the ocean will be a mode of transport, but how the industry can embrace the benefits of sea transport to ensure long-term market access.”

sea freight and whether it will replace air freight. Lower costs, lower carbon footprint and less cumbersome access to distant markets were essential factors in favour of sea freight. By 2019, everything seemed to indicate the flower industry would adopt this mode of transportation except for last-minute or unforeseen

AUTHOR:MARTA PIZ ANO

orders, which only airfreight could do.

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he Covid-19 pandemic changed everything, with closed borders, container scarcity, congested ports, and other logistic difficulties. Contrary to the initial expectation, demand for flowers surged, and exporters had to ship flowers by any means available.

Everyone recalls how flower boxes were even strapped onto passenger seats.

Sea transport nevertheless continued to be an option – even with increased prices - especially for sales scheduled in advance, such as supermarket bouquets.

Sea transport is cost-effective and reliable; initial drawbacks for companies that could not fill up a container have been solved with cargo agents capable of consolidating consignments efficiently, and the carbon footprint is much reduced concerning air freight. We conducted a series of interviews to get an update on the current outlook for sea transportation of cut flowers.

FLOR ACULTURE INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 2022

MORE EMOTION THAN FACTS In the case of Kenya, key stakeholders from all fronts need to be involved to guarantee smooth operation. This includes government authorities in Kenya, the UK and the EU, retail traders in the EU, Dutch flower auctions, flower producers and logistics service providers.

Furthermore, Lorenz noted, “Overall industry alignment is essential, and this requires a change in mindset

Skyrocketing air freight prices are driving significant momentum for sea transportation in East Africa.

CO V E R S TO R Y

on the part of growers and buyers.

Breeders should develop more resilient flower varieties, while exporters must identify the varieties that best handle the ocean voyage.

In turn, growers need to find the right formula for preparing the flower during pre- and post-harvest for long-term storage on the ocean.”

Lorenz summarised, “It is essential to share information openly and freely across the industry about how long different varieties can last because, at the moment, perception of ocean freight as a viable means of transportation for flowers is founded more on emotion than facts.”

SEA TRANSPORT LABELS AT THE CLOCK FRONT: YES, OR NO? Maersk has acquired significant experience with maritime transport of perishables over the years – especially with avocados – which has provided a robust platform to handle flower cargo efficiently.

Flowers are relatively new in the shipping industry. Still, the predicted growth in export volumes of perishable agriproducts out of East Africa is very high over the next five years. They are gearing up to provide the best logistics possible.

Because a large portion of Kenyan flowers is traded via Dutch auctions, an important question is whether there should be a mention at the clock front that some flowers have been transported by sea.

Lorenz thinks yes. However, he is worried that the perception around the quality of the product shipped is sometimes negative and needs to change. For example, sea freight is at least 90 per cent more environmentally friendly than airfreight, and costs are around 50 per cent less.

Losses are very low. This year, Maersk experienced less than a three per cent loss in flowers shipped from Kenya, which easily rivals airfreight, even before the financial and environmental upsides. In Lorenz’s view, “marking flowers as ‘transported by sea’ should attract a premium price because it has a massive, reduced impact on the environment during transportation.”

A VIEW FROM MOROCCO

Mr Ali Bennani-Smires is the general manager of SCA Clementine, which is the flowers and avocado division at the Delassus group in Morocco.

SCA Clementine currently grows 48ha of spray carnations, which they mainly sell in the UK. Responding about transportation options for his carnations, he explained that they are now back to exporting 90 per cent of their product in refrigerated trucks, which takes from four to five days door to door. Trucks are maintained at 4°C and arrive in excellent condition. During the Covid-19 crisis, however, when ground transportation prices doubled, they had no option but to send sea containers to the UK. Containers were held at 0.5°C and took up to ten days to reach the destination. It was a good solution, but now that trucks are back in operation at reasonable prices, the company prefers to go that way, mainly because there is less uncertainty with arrival dates.

Bennani-Smires commented, “We do see sea freight as a good alternative, as sometimes the market is not really in big demand, and instead of storing flowers in our farm, we prefer to send them by sea; we gamble a bit that by the time the sea containers arrive the market has recovered, and very often we are right.

“Controlled atmospheres are not used, just regular refrigerated containers; spray carnations withstand the ten-day journey very well, especially with good postharvest management.”

SCA Clementine has also run a trial with sea transportation to the USA. The process took a month door-to-door, and there was some loss of product, but not significant. If the company were to expand their sales to the USA, sea transportation would probably be a good option.

As for the carbon footprint, they believe that by truck is the best option, better than sea transportation and much better than air freight.

Bennani-Smires does not think it’s necessary to identify the means of transport used to get the flowers to market. This could give the buyer the impression that sea-freighted flowers have been harvested much before those coming by air, which is entirely misleading since, all over the world, growers and marketers store flowers for weeks before they go on sale.

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FLOWERWATCH Jeroen van der Hulst from Flowerwatch has more than 25 years of overall experience in postharvest management of cut flowers, including solid expertise in sea transport. When the flower industry took off in Kenya, air freight capacity was adequate and well-priced; this is mostly still the situation in Ethiopia.

However, return cargo is virtually absent as imports into Africa are not large, and planes return empty to fetch the flowers. This is in high contrast with South American countries where active cargo exchange occurs with the USA and Europe.

Sea transport emerged as a promising transport option for Kenyan flowers more than 15 years ago, but problems like the 2008 energy crisis slowed progress.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, air freight rates skyrocketed as capacity diminished. This has turned eyes again towards sea transport. Nairobi is the most prominent maritime cargo hub in Africa, with five to seven freighters leaving each day, but even so, the sea freight market is not mature.

Van der Hulst said, “Ecuador or Colombia have been shipping fresh produce for years, for example, bananas, blueberries, and avocados. In East Africa, there are no other active ports that could help move business. Even so, sea transport will become the biggest development in 35 years. But it will never completely replace air freight. It is all about finding a healthy mix, and that varies within the markets.”

Sea freight is growing fast. In the first six months of this year, more than 300 flower containers were shipped (approximately 300 full freighter aircraft), which is three to four times more than the same period in 2021. The potential outlook is to have a 50/50 share of air/sea by 2030, but there are challenges.

Van der Hulst said about the USA market, “The USA is difficult to access from Kenya, and air freight is prohibitive at $5-10/kg. However, there are special holidays when flower demand is so high in the USA that it still is an attractive option; perhaps a combination of sea/air could offer a solution.”

Flowerwatch offers comprehensive assistance to ensure quality flowers arrive at the destination in the best possible shape and with minimal losses. This requires considering every step of the value chain with the utmost detail, from assigned responsibilities among staff for every aspect of postharvest handling to considering a particular variety of characteristics.

Moreover, staff must use clean water and buckets, treating flowers with the correct food according to flower species and cultivar. When flowers are transferred to the port, an eagle eye must also be kept at grading, storage and processing, packing, and even trucking. “We have developed specific standards and offer training and oversight at every step of the way,” Van der Hulst concluded.

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IMPROVING SCHEDULE RELIABILITY Christo van der Meer, sea freight perishables manager for Kuehne+Nagel in East Africa, said, “Skyrocketing air freight prices are driving significant momentum for sea transportation in East Africa.

Air rates could soon touch 3 USD per kilo. This is primarily due to Africa’s limited airfreight capacity, and this situation is unsustainable mainly.”

More recently, Van der Meer sees former sea freight customers returning. Kuehne+Nagel caters to n European ports; Rotterdam has been the traditional touchdown spot, but the UK is growing in importance for flowers from Africa and South America. The company is also serving more distant markets like Australia and Japan.

Van der Meer commented, “At least for Kenya, sea transport will be a way forward. In the long run, shipping lines, containers, and logistics will be optimised, and freight costs will go down, making the difference with airfreight even larger.”

However, there are issues to be addressed before this can happen.

The sea freight supply chain needs to get back to normal.

Schedule reliability is currently low – about 40 per cent; it needs to go up to at least 80 per cent, like pre-Covid times. The cold chain needs to be improved; it should cover the full cycle efficiently and without glitches. Van der Meer acknowledged, “From farm to

consolidation centre, containers should be cooled down before loading and, very important, effectively using the right boxes to remove heat once they are in the container. This last issue creates a bit of a headache in Kenya.”

A DECIDEDLY LOWER CARBON FOOTPRINT Techniques such as vacuum cooling, controlled atmospheres, GPS monitoring systems and real-time temperature devices are beneficial and, fortunately, increasingly in use. “Much work and education are needed along the entire supply chain,” noted Christo, stressing that full integration amongst key stakeholders is essential.

Kuehne+Nagel has plans to set up a consolidation centre in Kenya, near production areas, allowing for better control of packing and shipping conditions.

Further, harvest and postharvest management, flower treatments, packing, and pre-cooling are critical elements of the product cycle. And to top this, flower quality is simply essential. All these together will ensure losses are kept to a bare minimum.

What about sustainability? “The carbon footprint is decidedly lower,” stated Christo. He added, “However, there is still a perception that flowers shipped by sea are not fresh because the voyage takes a long time; this is

Maersk has acquired great experience with maritime transport of perishables over the years – especially with avocados – which has provided a robust platform to handle flower cargo efficiently.

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PRELUDE TO THE DUTCH IFTF SHOW: FLOWERS BY SEA CONFERENCE ON 8 NOVEMBER

not fair when the product clearly meets the required standards.”

He thus prefers that the shipping mode is not mentioned at the auction, stressing that flowers shipped by air are often stored for weeks before they are sold, which is also not mentioned.

In a prelude to its International Flower Trade Fair (IFTF), Dutch show organiser HPP announces its second Flowers by Sea conference on 8 November at Expo Greater Amsterdam in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands.

COLOMBIA – SHORT UPDATE Flower exporters have been exploring sea freight since the early 2000s. Still, the option gathered steam in 2012. It offered a great opportunity for flower exports to Europe and Asia – distant markets that are expensive and even cumbersome to reach by air (Asia in particular).

Then suddenly, in 2017, sea transportation to the USA surged in response to successive hurricane seasons and snowstorms that disrupted flights, constrained space on planes, raised freight costs and, in general, made it very challenging for flower exporters to reach consumers in time.

By 2019, sea freight from Colombia to the USA had doubled, and it seemed that maritime transportation would steadily increase. Costs were reportedly 1520 per cent lower than airfreight and 40 per cent lower when shipping to Europe or Asia. In 2018-2019, about 30 per cent of flower cargo from Colombia left the country by sea.

However, in 2020 this number dropped to five per cent and in 2021 to eight per cent. Currently, it stands at about nine to ten per cent, according to the Colombia Association of Flower Exporters (ASOCOLFLORES). The following challenges cited by Colombian exporters include establishing preloading inspection (phytosanitary ad otherwise) to avoid opening containers at the port. This would Carnations disrupt the cold (and modified are known atmosphere) chain. Another for having challenge is ensuring smooth ‘strong sea logistics when consolidating legs’. consignments, as only a few companies can fill up a container (about 800 flower boxes). Ideally, flowers are all of the same kind (i.e. only roses, only carnations) as that facilitates handling immensely. Then there are ground transportation issues in Colombia.

“Seafreight replacing airfreight is just a matter of time. Shipping flowers by boat from Africa to Europe is possible and should be seen as the future alternative for airfreight. South America is already ‘doing’ it. By 2030 it is expected that 50 per cent of all perishable products will be transported by boat.”

With this in mind HPP will host a conference/ panel discussion during which Colombia and Kenya, countries that have gained considerable experience in cut flowers sea transportation, will discuss the challenges and opportunities of one of the most affordable and sustainable ways for transportation of flowers.

The morning session will take place on Tuesday, November 8, at the auditorium of Expo Greater Amsterdam, where the IFTF 2022 show (www.iftf.nl) will open the following day.

PANEL MEMBERS • Mr Clement Tulezi, CEO of Kenya Flower Council

The mountainous terrain and often secondary roads can be a hurdle from production areas to the ports. Ports still need to improve efficiency, at both ends, particularly with logistics.

Sea freight is clearly an option for transporting flowers, which will undoubtedly increase soon but cannot entirely replace airfreight.

With sea transport, times are given in weeks (to delivery), with airfreight, in days.

(KFC), Kenya • Mr Danny Levenswaard, Director of Breakbulk & Agrifood Port of Rotterdam, The Netherlands • Mr Christo van der Meer, manager of Seafreight Reefer Kuehne+Nagel East Africa, The Netherlands • Mr Niels van Doorn, General Manager of Chrysal Africa Ltd, Kenya • Mr Carlos Manuel Uribe, Board member of Asocolflores, CEO Flores El Capiro, Colombia • Mr Christopher Kulei, Director of Sian Flowers, Kenya • Mr Carl Lorenz, Managing Director of Eastern Africa Area Maersk, Kenya • Mr Jeroen van der Hulst, Managing Director of Flowerwatch, The Netherlands

PROGRAMME 8:30am - 9am

Check-in/coffee & pastries

9am - 10:15am

First session

10:15am - 10:45am

Coffee break

10:45am - 12:00pm

Second session

12:00pm

Closure WWW.FLOR ACULTUREINTERNATIONAL.COM

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FIERA MILANO, RHO

22- 23 - 24 FEBRUARY 2023

INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR HORTICULTURE · GARDEN · LANDSCAPE

Tel. (+39) 02 6889080 info@myplantgarden.com www.myplantgarden.com

PAT I O P L A N T S

The waxflower ‘wow ch

Helix Australia’s line of waxflowers is unique in colour, flower size, shelf life and timing.

In Italy, Pescia-based cooperative FloraToscana does an excellent job coordinating the

AUTHOR: RON VAN DER PLOEG PHOTOS: LUC A QUILICI AND FLOR A TOSC ANA

production and sales of Helix Australia’s potted waxflower, aka Chamelaucium uncinatum.

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uccess has many fathers, and the potted waxflower’s rise to prominence in global ornamental horticulture is no exception. Over the past two decades, many people on different continents have worked hard to help horticulturists worldwide grow more customer-centric pot waxflower varieties, unique in colour, flower size, shelf life, and timing.

Parsons from flower breeding company Helix Australia and Craig Musson, director of flower exporter Wafex. This partnership has been blooming since the early 2010s.

Thanks to the triple helix approach with the Australian government, academia and the industry, it has led to a suite of fantastic waxflower hybrids, innovating waxflower together and sharing both costs and revenues.

THE UNMISSABLE LINK BETWEEN BREEDERS AND COMMERCIAL PARTNERS

While the waxflower is wellknown on the global horticultural scene as an outstanding filler flower, the potted waxflower, as a showstopping plant in pots and containers, is relatively new, at least on the old continent.

Thanks to an Italo-Australian collaboration, potted waxflower is finding its way to European

The key to success has been to link Australian specialist plant breeder Digby Growns – an authority in the field of Western Australia plant genera - from Kings Park and Botanic Garden (KPBG) in Perth with commercial partners Adrian

FLOR ACULTURE INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 2022

ITALO-AUSTRALIAN PARTNERSHIP

markets. Currently, Italy hosts a sizeable production of potted waxflower, with an estimated production output of 250,000 units grown by an estimated 10-15 growers. With a growing market share in supply volumes, the potted waxflower 2.0 from Helix Australia is gaining momentum on the Italian peninsula and beyond.

Nearly 20 per cent of Italian-grown potted waxflower sells plants through the Pescia-based Flora Toscana cooperative (see side panel), which emerged in 2004 following the merger of Tuscany’s floral wholesalers Toscoflora and Geoflor Toscana.

BREAKTHROUGH In an era of job-hopping millennials, it may sound unusual, but Luca Quilici is the man who has been working for Flora Toscana

PAT I O P L A N T S

he bello’ factor for a lifetime. He played different roles within the cooperative and is currently responsible for R&D and export. A job which, he says, fits him well because it is about the generation of new knowledge, cross-border business, developing new products or improving existing ones.

In this context, he references his country’s potted waxflower production that has long been dormant, with established varieties such as ‘Snowflake’ not precisely evoking excitement. Quilici notes, “The real breakthrough occurred when Helix Australia and Flora Toscana joined forces offering growers and buyers the exclusive waxflower wow factor that have buds as nearly as big as Hypericum and last for at least two months.

Take ‘MySweet16’, which produces masses of blooms that magically change colour, starting in white, evolving into pink and finishing in shades of red.”

THE NEW GENERATION OF POTTED WAXFLOWER Quilici says that the new generation of potted waxflower from Helix Australia provides a much-needed breath of fresh air. “In terms of Flora Toscana member growers, there’s a 100 per cent uptake of Helix’s improved waxflower varieties. The same goes

for newcomers. We are actively seeking to increase production volumes. More recently, 60,000 potted ‘Snowflake’ dropped out of production in Portugal, so there is room for expansion. Next spring, for example, growers from Latina south of Rome - will harvest their first potted waxflower.”

According to Quilici, the benefits of Helix’s PBR-protected cultivars vary. “They are truly amazing. All of them have a longer shelf life than existing varieties. Greater product durability helps to extend sales as large-flowered cultivars go hand in hand with larger flower buds. These can be harvested more prematurely. The colours are bright and come in unique tones and hues, putting on a great show for consumers.”

PASSIONATE ABOUT THE JOB Quilici is delighted to work with Helix Australia, the company’s managing director, providing advice and support when needed. “We love working with Adrian Parsons, who is passionate about his job.

We regularly catch up in Europe or Australia, and our greatest achievement so far is that we now have a strong team in place, including growers and salespeople, which will result in even greater things in the years to come.”

Adrian Parsons, managing director Helix Australia (left) and Luca Quilici, R&D and export manager at the Flora Toscana cooperative.

FLORA TOSCANA: THE ESSENTIALS The 2004 merger between Tuscany’s Toscoflora and Geoflor Toscana created one of Italy’s most important floral wholesale powerhouses with 120 personnel and a €65 million group turnover in 2021, up from €50 million in 2019.

The Flora Toscana cooperative, with its headquarters in Pescia, supplies inputs for the cultivation process and does marketing and processing of flowers, cut foliage and pot plants for predominantly local growers.

Flora Toscana took root in 1971 when ten visionary entrepreneurs came together to share a common problem: the skyrocketing prices of materials and sundries. They formed a business cooperative to purchase horticultural supplies and obtain services at a lower cost.

Of the 230 members Flora Toscana has today, 150 actively sell their flowers and plants through the cooperative. Many of Flora Toscana’s member growers are in Pescia, Viareggio and Lucca, and Italian regions such as Puglia, Lazio, Liguria, and Sicily. They come from as far afield as Spain and Kenya, where growers supply Statice and potted waxflowers and cut roses, respectively.

Full Flora Toscana member Azienda Spinetti.

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G LO B A L P OT T E D F LO W ER T R A D E

CHAMELAUCIUM QUICK FACTS Chamelaucium (waxflower) is a staple filler flower on the global cut flower market. The genus of this shrub belongs to the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) and has flowers reminiscent of those seen in Leptospermum.

Waxflower is native to Australia and grows in its natural habitat near its western seashore.

Waxflower is commercially available year-round, thanks to the extended flowering seasons of Australia, South Africa, Israel, and the USA. While the waxflower is well-known on the horticultural scene as an outstanding filler flower, the potted waxflower as a showstopping plant in pots and containers or landscape features is relatively new.

New compact white waxflower from Helix Australia’s breeding programme.

MEET AND GREET FLORA TOSCANA AT IFTF The staff of Flora Toscana and its exhibiting growers look forward to meeting you at the IFTF show. True to tradition, the Flora Toscana stand will serve as a meeting point for growers and clients.

Luca Quilici says, “No doubt that the skyrocketing energy costs and the war in Ukraine will be on everyone’s lips. However, as Flora Toscana, we will also look at opportunities to launch several new varieties, including the potted waxflowers from Helix.

Throughout the year, we are present at Europe’s major horticultural trade shows such as Salon du Vegetal in Angers, France; Iberflora in Valencia, Spain; IPM Essen in Essen, Germany and Myplant&Garden in Milan, Italy.

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FLOR ACULTURE INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 2022

Pot Chamelaucium ‘MySweet16’ produces masses of blooms that magically change colour, starting in white, evolving into pink and finishing in shades of red.

PRODUCTION PLANNING In coordinating production, Flora Toscana’s crop technician regularly meets with growers. What does it take to succeed in a potted waxflower crop? Quilici responds, “The grower needs to keep an eye on production planning, particularly during the pruning season. If you prune plants too early, you will have a not-soperfectly shaped plant. Conversely, your plants will not flower if you prune too late.”

The best innovations are never finished. What does Quilici think can help growers and traders to make potted waxflowers even more successful? “The pipeline of naturally compact waxflower hybrids coming through Helix Australia’s breeding programme is very exciting. This will reduce the cost of pruning and growth regulators and deliver a wider range of colours and bloom size far superior to the current ‘Snowflake’ variety, which dominates the potted waxflower market.

PREMIER PORTUGUESE MARKETING Marketing is essential to create and maintain demand to engage customers. Quilici is just back from a trip to Portugal to visit wholesalers, florists, and garden retailers and to catch up with the editors of Jardins, Portugal’s popular gardening magazine, led by editor-at-large Teresa Chambel.

Quilici says, “Flora Toscana’s strength is big in small niche-type crops. At the turn of the century,

Flora Toscana started to grow and sell potted Protea from an Australian plant breeder and propagator. Proteas have helped us gain a market presence in Portugal, a Protea-minded country.

Remember that Portuguese Madeira and the Azores boast a long tradition of growing these exotic flowers. Today, we export a wide range of ornamentals to Portugal, with Flora Toscana having achieved significant brand recognition, also because sometimes we are lucky enough that the magazine Jardins and television show Praça da Alegria, with co-host Teresa Chambel are putting our flowers and plants, including potted waxflower, in the limelight.”

Asked about the outlook for the new potted waxflower spring sales season, Quilici concludes, “We will continue to ramp up production in Italy and Spain. I believe potted waxflower has much-untapped potential, and we see a growing Teresa demand for the Helix varieties.”

Chambal

I N T ER N AT I O N A L S TAT I S T I C S F LO W ER S & P L A N T S 202 2

VALUABLE MARKET DATA The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), in association with

AUTHOR: R ACHEL WAKEFIELD

Union Fleurs, the International Flower Trade Association, announces the 70th version

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of the International Statistics – Flowers and Plants 2022.

he International Statistics Flowers and Plants Yearbook has the most comprehensive production and trade data collection for the ornamental plants and flower industry.

This annual publication is invaluable to trade organisations, policymakers, marketers, producers, traders, libraries, and universities.

In its 70th year, the contents result from extensive research and data compiled by the Centre for Business Management in Horticulture and Applied Research, Leibniz University Hanover, Germany.

The Statistics Yearbook provides production data for over 40 countries, detailed country breakdowns, product comparisons, market data and prices and global import and export data.

This edition also features additional survey responses about how the Covid-19 pandemic has driven a more significant demand in the markets for cut flowers and potted and bedding plants. However, the rise in energy prices and the availability of workers is impacting production.

The 2022 Yearbook is published as a pdf document and features 232 pages of illustrations, tables, diagrams and maps of crucial production data.

The International Statistics Flowers and Plants 2022 will officially launch on Wednesday, 9 November, at the opening of Trade Fair Aalsmeer.

The 2022 digital version will be available to purchase and download for 195 euros from the AIPH website from the TFA launch date at www.aiph.org/giic/international-statistical-yearbook/

WWW.FLOR ACULTUREINTERNATIONAL.COM

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TECH

Svensson’s PARperfect screen solution allows Dutch-based Kentia palm grower Hartog Palmen to optimise crop light levels.

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TECH

SMART GREENHOUSE CONTROLS FOR ENERGY-SAVING AND ENVIRONMENT Recent developments in greenhouse screen technology bring new ways to manage energy

AUTHOR: SPENCE GUNN

consumption and optimise light levels for the crop.

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here seems little hope of an early reverse in the eye-watering energy price hikes that started at the end of Covid-19 lockdowns and accelerated through the political responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – leaving growers facing inflated and volatile energy costs for the foreseeable future.

It has, however, brought energy-saving greenhouse environment control back into sharp focus, including the potential offered by the latest screen materials and climate systems which enable screens to be kept closed for longer.

COST-CUTTING SOLUTIONS “At the start of this crisis, we were hesitant to approach growers as we knew how painful the situation was,” says Bart Bakker, greenhouse climate consultant for Dutch screens supplier Svensson. “But growers have been coming to us wanting to talk about technology that will help them cut costs.”

For example, interest in adding a second screen to the single-screen installations most already have has soared. The space between the two climate screens, when closed, acts in the same way as double glazing.

“If a single screen offers you a 47 per cent energy saving, a double screen can give you 63 per cent, and that’s significant,” he says.

“Modern highly transparent screens can be kept closed for longer while current energy prices mean a quick return on investment. We have a calculator based on heating temperatures, screen hours, the type of installation and so on, to work out the benefits of single or double screens to a nursery.”

The choice of material for the additional screen depends on the crop. For many cut flower, bedding or pot plant crops, the first screen is usually installed for shade, so the second would likely be to save energy.

CLIMAFLOW Keeping the screens closed for longer may reduce energy costs but can need a change of approach to other aspects of climate control, notably humidity. “That’s one reason we started looking into the use of fans in conjunction with screens,” says Bakker. “The result is our ClimaFlow system developed in conjunction with the fan company Hinova, which is now part of Svensson.” It combines Hinova’s Ventilation Jet System and Svensson’s advisory service, Climate House, he says.

PARperfect in optima forma at potted Anthurium nursery Karma Plants in Bemmel featuring a closed Harmony screen 2047 FR with on top a partially closed Obscura 9950 FRW screen.

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TECH

Ducts suck air downwards from the top of the greenhouse, while vertical fans below the screens distribute this cooler, drier air around the crop. Svensson’s design model works out the best duct and fan positions depending on the greenhouse structure and crops grown.

“We’re using the principles of ‘plant empowerment’ previously known as next-generation growing,” says Bakker.

“The aim is to keep the screens closed as long as possible, vent above them, and use downward air movement through the closed screens to manage humidity. You achieve the optimum climate evenly across the crop and, as warm air rising from the crop is recirculated, you can run lower pipe temperatures too.”

OPTIMISING CROP LIGHT LEVELS The interaction between crop temperature and light levels can result in wasted energy if plants receive enough heat but too little light for optimum growth. “I suspect many growers in floriculture err towards giving too much shade,” says Bakker. “That’s understandable but may mean missing an opportunity to improve quality or throughput speed.”

Svensson’s PARperfect screen solution, introduced four years ago, is designed to optimise crop light levels. It uses highly light-diffusing materials in a double-screen set-up that can control light levels precisely and evenly across the crop.

“Diffuse light penetrates the crop canopy better; hardly any shadow is cast and the whole crop receives the same amount of light,” says Bakker.

The lower screen is typically a highly diffusing material such as Svensson’s Harmony 2047 FR, which gives about 20 per cent shading but a high degree of ‘light scatter’. The upper screen is usually a heavier shade or even completely opaque.

The screens open and close independently but always with some ‘overlap’, so although there is good airflow past the screens, the crop never receives any direct light.

The screen positions are controlled by light sensors for outside solar radiation and at crop level via the greenhouse environmental computer to meet a setpoint. On a bright spring morning, for example, the lower screen might be at 30 per cent closed and the upper at 70 per cent to achieve, say, a 250 micromol per sqm per second setpoint. If it becomes cloudier, the upper screen pulls back while the lower draws over, so the setpoint is maintained.

WAGENINGEN’S MANAGE YOUR LIGHT PROGRAMME

Bart Bakker, greenhouse climate consultant for Dutch/ Swedish screens supplier Svensson.

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FLOR ACULTURE INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 2022

The control programme can also predict if the crop is likely to reach saturation point – when it has received as much light as it can use – during the day. If so, it will automatically lower the setpoint, so the screens adjust to provide more shade.

There is, though, a lack of detailed information still on the optimum light levels for most floriculture crops, points out Bakker. “The main exception is Phalaenopsis, where growers know precisely how many micromoles to use at each stage in the growth cycle,” he says. “For most other floriculture crops, the information is less sophisticated, and growers base shade screen decisions on experience.

“But this is now improving thanks to research, for example, at Wageningen University Research as part of its ‘Manage your Light’ programme. And I’d really welcome discussions with growers about using sensors in crops to see how their plants respond physiologically at different light levels.

TECH

CASE STUDY: THE PLANT COMPANY VIRGINIA USA Svensson’s PARperfect system was specified when The Plant Company of Virginia, USA, built its first 2-ha greenhouse in 2020, specialising in premium tropical houseplants for the retail market.

The finished plants, in 12 and 17-cm pots, are grown in three to four months, mainly from tissue culture.

“The even distribution of light at crop level was the most attractive feature,” says co-founder Frank Paul. “Tropical foliage plants generally don’t like direct sunlight.”

The set-up combines a light-diffusing Harmony 2047 screen below a shadier Harmony 5747 FR. The nursery’s light accumulation targets range from 4.5 to 12 mol per sqm per day, depending on the crop. The greenhouse is divided into six separate compartments, each with its own screen control.

So far, says Paul, results are in line with expectations. “The only thing I would do differently next time is replacing the upper shade screen with a light abatement one,” he says. “From mid-spring till mid-fall, we have more than enough outside light, and the current upper screen is letting too much light through, meaning we also apply one or two layers of whitewash to the roof to reach our desired light levels.

“When we were planning the installation, I was hesitant in choosing a light abatement material because I was afraid the light at crop level was going to be uneven. But I’ve since seen a few projects with the Harmony 2047 FR light abatement screen combination, and it seems to work well.”

Without taking risks, I think we could look at adding a few percentage points of extra light each year to explore where the optimum is for a crop.”

Bakker says the key benefit of using screens, rather than greenhouse claddings, to diffuse and control incoming light is flexibility. “You can get more light to the crop when you need it, but the degree of shade is so flexible and controllable: young plants can be given more shade, and you can reduce it as they progress through the growing cycle.”

It’s sometimes not easy to benefit financially from better quality in floriculture crops, but Bakker points to one early adopter of PARperfect who grows Campanulas, a relatively fast crop notoriously susceptible to price fluctuations depending on the weather: prices fall in hot weather when production accelerates and rises in cooler conditions when plants take longer to finish. “Optimising light levels means he no longer experiences peaks and dips in growth rates,” he says. “And that has improved overall profitability.”

The space between the two climate screens, when closed, acts in the same way as double glazing.

Superposed Harmony 2047 and a shadier Harmony 5747 FR at The Plant Company of Virginia.

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Green City Post A NEW SERIES OF FREE WEBINARS FROM AIPH FEATURES THE WORLD’S LEADING CITIES AIPH is proud to launch the second series of Green City Briefings, featuring world-leading cities demonstrating the power of plants. Last year, the City of London Green City Briefings saw 100s of attendees from 50 different countries join AIPH’s vision for greener, more cohesive, and more resilient cities. Each of these new series of Green City Briefings provides expert opinion, features successful city implementation, and

AUTHOR: R ACHEL WAKEFIELD

generates an in-depth discussion.

T

his year’s international briefings feature winning cities from the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022. Each themed webinar, featuring world-renowned experts alongside global examples of best practices, aims to link up knowledge and practice.

The presentations are suitable for an audience of policymakers, urban planners, practitioners, and the interested general public.

Sharing practitioners’ and researchers’ experiences of the many ways to enhance cityscapes through power plants is vital to bringing global change. AIPH Green City is proud to be at the centre of creating this conversation.

The Secretary General of AIPH, Mr Tim Briercliffe, says, “AIPH is again pleased to be collaborating with the Worshipful Company of Gardeners to present the Green City Briefings 2022/23, and is also delighted to announce sponsorship of this series by Expo 2023 Doha Qatar so everyone can register for free. The cities featured over the next 18 months demonstrate significant progress in including plants and nature in the city’s form and function, with talks from around the world.”

The October session focused on design and plant selection for challenging climates, featuring Doha in Qatar and the upcoming Expo 2023 Doha Qatar landscape. The theme of Expo 2023 Doha Qatar is ‘Green Desert, Better Environment’. The Expo aims to draw attention to the threats of desertification and the potential solutions that can be employed.

The October Briefings session was led by Mark Laurence, a horticulturist, consulting arborist and

landscape designer interested in adapting landscapes to climate change, restoring ecosystem function and finding psychological and material comfort from the design of good space.

The speakers discussed techniques that enable the selection and sustainable cultivation of trees and plants in challenging climates that play an essential role in promoting greening worldwide.

Harry Watkins, Executive Director for St Andrews Botanic Garden in Fife, Scotland, presented the garden as a living research and conservation experiment where staff explore how ecology and evolution unfold in the plant kingdom.

Francesco Roesler demonstrated his enthusiasm as a designer, having worked for international and multidisciplinary companies over the last 10 years. At Dar London, he has learnt how to design in challenging environments, leveraging natural assets even when they seem invisible.

The speakers discussed techniques that enable the sustainable cultivation of trees and crops in arid lands to play an essential role in reversing desertification problems worldwide.

Watch an on-demand recording of this session from AIPH’s Green City Briefing website page. You can also view September’s Buenos Aires session, which focused on how habitat conservation strategies are integrated into urban development, particularly human and habitat vulnerabilities.

Sign up for November’s briefing, which features the Grand Winner of the inaugural AIPH World Green City Awards: Hyderabad, India.

Visit Green City Briefings here www.aiph.org

A I P H W O R L D G R EEN C I T Y AWA R D S 202 2

AIPH Announces Winning Cities for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) is proud to announce the Winners of AIPH World Green City Awards 2022.

AUTHOR: R ACHEL WAKEFIELD

The innovation, ambition, and inspiring action of the Grand Winner, the City of Hyderabad, leaves a powerful legacy to inspire positive change.

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The Green Garland to the State of Telangana” is created by a wealth of greening activities.

T

he AIPH World Green City Awards’ announcement of the 6 Category Winners and the Grand Winner was made at a dedicated Awards ceremony at a special gala dinner at the IUCN Leaders Forum in the Self-Governing Province of Jeju, the Republic of Korea, on 14th October 2022.

The most prestigious award of the Inaugural 2022 edition, the Grand Winner, was presented to the city of Hyderabad, India, voted by the Jury to demonstrate the highest capacity for influence, replicability, and scope to inspire change.

In making their decision, members of the Jury were invited to consider the following question: “The AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 enables winning cities to achieve greater recognition for their inspiring initiatives – in light of this, which entry do you feel may have the biggest transformational impact?”

It was a great honour and privilege for AIPH to present the award of Grand Winner of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 to:

FLOR ACULTURE INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 2022

The City of Hyderabad, India, for their entry titled “Green Garland to the State of Telangana” On behalf of the network of partners for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022, AIPH congratulates the City of Hyderabad for receiving this incredible accolade!

View the case study of the Grand Winner here.

“AIPH celebrates this fantastic achievement for the City of Hyderabad. We are proud to showcase their inspiring urban greening work. With this global recognition, we can confidently say that Hyderabad is a world leader in nature-oriented approaches to city design, form, and function,” says Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH. The Grand Winner was selected from the list of six Category Winners, who each took home trophies in recognition of their achievement.

The AIPH World Green City Awards were supported by a powerful network of partners and sponsors Expo Hatay and Biblo.

A I P H W O R L D G R EEN C I T Y AWA R D S 202 2

AIPH WGCA 2022 CATEGORY WINNERS Living Green for Biodiversity Reverdecer Bogotá, Bogota D.C, Colombia .

Living Green for Climate Change Mexico City’s Environmental and Climate Change Program, Mexico City, Mexico Living Green for Health and Wellbeing Transforming degraded land into Urban Micro Parks, City of Fortaleza, Brazil Living Green for Water The Phytotechnology Stations at the Montréal Botanical Garden / Space for Life, City of Montreal, Canada Living Green for Social Cohesion OASIS Schoolyard Project, City of Paris, France Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth - Green Garland to the State of Telangana, City of Hyderabad, India

Register your interest for AIPH WGCA 2024 Find more information here - www.aiph.org/green-city/wgca-24-register-your-interest

WWW.FLOR ACULTUREINTERNATIONAL.COM

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C H R Y S A N T H EM U M

Stealing the show AUTHOR: R ACHEL ANDER SON PHOTOS: FLORITEC

Spray Chrysanthemum Summerflame.

W

ieek 35 – the last few days in August and the first few days in September – is always an eventful week for ornamental horticulture worldwide as the seasons change and many people return to work or school.

In Medellin, Colombia, Week 35 is known as Chrysanthemum Week – a joyous celebration of Chrysanthemums. Their plentiful blooms have captivated consumers to become one of the world’s most traded and grown cut flowers.

TOP PRODUCER Colombia’s high altitudes, bright sunny days and cool nights have created the ideal conditions for producing this colourful genus. Juan Carlos Naranjo, the Colombian representative for leading Chrysanthemum breeder Floritec, notes that Colombia produces some 1.8 billion Chrysanthemum stems a year – making it one of the biggest producers of this flower. Its stems are shipped worldwide, with the United States and Canada being the largest markets for this country’s Chrysanthemum growers.

Many of the world’s leading floriculture companies have locations in Colombia – and Week 35 sees ten leading breeders, including Floritec, welcome growers, traders and retailers

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FLOR ACULTURE INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 2022

Customised breeder Floritec revealed its game-changing Japanese disbuds at this year’s Chrysanthemum Week in Medellín, Colombia. from Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the USA to their sites to view their Chrysanthemum ranges.

of the growers and cater to the latest consumer trends.”

IN-SITU BREEDING

In Colombia, the forward-thinking firm (which is based in The Netherlands) has been collaborating for five years with renowned, Medellín-based producer Flores El Capiro. The grower opened its greenhouses during this year’s Week 35 to welcome and delight a record number of visitors with Floritec’s wide range of Chrysanthemums, including Santinis, sprays and disbuds.

Floritec has been working closely with its Japanese parent company of three years, Inochio Seikoen, to develop and then trial its stunning range of Japanese disbud varieties in Colombia before showcasing them to the market during Chrysanthemum Week. With their large blooms, quirky petal shapes, and soft colours (such as salmon pink) that appeal to the wedding market, they were unsurprisingly the show’s star.

Naranjo confirms: “The Japanese disbud varieties captured the attention of everybody – growers, customers, traders, and importers.

Their unique shapes, sizes, quality, colours, and textures made people react to the many possibilities that Floritec varieties can bring and offer to the market.”

Over the last five years, Floritec – a relative newcomer – has increased its market share in the Colombian Chrysanthemum market with its wide range of varieties, including daisy-like, button or pompon varieties, novelty types and disbuds.

The key to Floritec’s success in Colombia and worldwide is largely due to its unique approach to conducting its plant breeding programmes ‘in situ.’ This means that, rather than having its breeding facilities, Floritec works closely with producers worldwide to breed its customised varieties in growers’ glasshouses and their locations’ specific climatic conditions. This method of customised breeding was born out of necessity.

When the company was formed some 15 years ago, it didn’t have the capital to build its breeding facilities.

However, its strategy certainly helped Floritec and its varieties to stand out from the crowd.

Naranjo says: “Floritec is now recognised as one of the main sources for new Chrysanthemum varieties, and more because we have been able to establish a very nice and important assortment to supply the main needs

DISBUDS – THE STARS OF THE SHOW

C H R Y S A N T H EM U M

(Left) Both of these varieties are still coded. The variety in vintage colour will be named soon as orders for this cultivar come flying in.

(Right) Ten leading breeders, including Floritec, welcomed growers, traders and retailers from Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and the USA to their sites to view their Chrysanthemum ranges.

A still coded disbud.

cushion-type Chrysanthemums in traditional white, yellow, pink, and purple remain popular, Dahlia look-a-likes and other new types of flower shapes, sizes, and bright and unique colour combinations are allowing designers and consumers to enjoy a more extensive assortment of Chrysanthemums.

THE POSSIBILITY TO GROW

He adds: “Being able to hear and see people’s reaction in all these aspects made visitors want to see more and wait for further developments – as well as start producing them, create the added value that everybody in the chain looks for and that the new disbuds and spray assortment can bring to the Chrysanthemum and flower market.”

Naranjo also notes that this year’s introduction of Floritec’s Japanese disbuds (named so because the plants are ‘disbudded’ to feature one bloom per stem) coincides with the USA market’s increasing interest in new, trendy, and colourful styles. While the daisy- and

Whilst North America remains an important market for Colombian growers, many seek opportunities to export to Europe. With this fact – and the burgeoning popularity of its Colombian-grown Chrysanthemums – in mind, Floritec is in the process of breaking with its tradition and setting up its breeding facility in Medellín.

Naranjo says: “This new facility seamlessly fits in with the organisation’s growth – and with Floritec’s ambition to be, and develop into, a world-leading company.”

Floritec’s marketing and communications manager, Daphne Hoogeveen, says: “We have now found a place we can rent and build a greenhouse for ourselves. For several

years we’ve had very close and good cooperation with Capiro, and they are very kind to us. By having our facility, we have many more possibilities to grow.

Floritec’s mission is to develop relevant and leading varieties in close cooperation with customers.

“Through on-site development, we can develop varieties with reduced susceptibility to diseases and pests perfectly suited to local growing and climate conditions: customised breeding.

But given our ambition, this also requires a stronger home base, and this new location in Colombia certainly provides that. In the Netherlands, we are in the same process; we are now renovating our facility there.”

TRADE FAIR AALSMEER The firm hopes to open its new site in Colombia next year. In the meantime, it’s focussing on Trade Fair Aalsmeer (from November 9 until November 11, 2022).

There it will captivate visitors with its display of Colombian varieties, its families of pot mums, pot Celosia, pot Aster and spray Chrysanthemum, including the snowy-petalled ‘Maverick White’ and ‘Maverick Sunny’ (yellow) cultivars.

Spray Chrysanthemum Zippo.

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E X P O -S U R E

EXPOFLOR ECUADOR 2022

After a four-year hiatus, ExpoFlor Ecuador 2022 opened its doors to a floral extravaganza. FCI’s correspondent William Armellini travelled to Quito to attend the three-day event, which first began with professional tours of some

AUTHOR: WILLIAM ARMELLINI

awe-inspiring farms.

Hard to miss extremely long-stemmed roses.

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NOVEMBER 2022

E

vent organiser and industry body Expoflores can reflect well on a successful 2nd edition of ExpoFlor Ecuador, held at Quito’s Metropolitan Convention Centre between 5-7 October 2022.

The positive buzz across the show floor didn’t go unnoticed, as exhibitor and visitor testimonials echoed the quality of contacts, stands and products.

Covid-19 delayed this semi-annual event, and the large crowds indicated a pent-up demand for people to meet face-to-face without mask coverings.

PROFESSIONAL FARM TOURS On day one, entrepreneurs invited industry professionals into their farms and workplaces. The first open house was at the breeding company Connectiflor/E.G. to see where new varieties are born.

When the company’s breeders invited them to try some crossbreeding themselves, it soon became apparent that rose breeding is an elaborate process that takes many steps to complete.

Developing rose varieties with improved yields, end-use quality and environmental performance is lengthy and costly. Breeders have to combine the best talent from across the globe, and the time required to create a commercial rose variety from ideation until product launch can take years.

Growers test thousands of seedlings to find the best new varieties in hopes of finding one or two that will make the transition from selection to production.

The second professional tour stop was at Rosa Prima, one of the best and largest growers in Ecuador, and there you can visit their test greenhouse.

E X P O -S U R E

(Above) A good dose of togetherness at the return of ExpoFlor Ecuador.

(Top left) Hippy psychedelic roses.

(Middle left) Floreloy team.

(Bottom left) Dyed and glittered roses.

This is ‘Candyland’ for flower lovers.

Imagine yourself in a four-acre greenhouse with views of the Andean mountains, surrounded by rows upon rows of newly created roses. Each plant posing with its new blooms reaches up into the sunlight, hoping they will be selected, much like a litter of puppies jumping and barking, waiting to be adopted.

The host invited his guests to walk the aisles to select their favourite bloom, followed by a fabulous breakfast in this wonderland.

The following day, the international guests embarked on a special tour to Jet Fresh Flowers, with company owner Mike Black showing the group around.

This boutique rose farm has taken employee happiness and care to a new level, with ‘Happy and Hippy’ being the roots of this new company’s style.

Natural Roses, garden roses, painted roses, dyed roses and more are what you will find here. A highlight of the social care of the company was the laundry room, where the employees

can bring in their clothes from home, and Jet Fresh has them washed, dried, and folded for free.

A SUPER SHOW Back in Quito, the stands at super show ExpoFlor Ecuador were grand, and the quality and quantity of flowers were amazing. The halls were packed with happy people, and that is what makes a good exhibition.

This was a trade fair in its most truest form, where business is focused and conducted. In the rose show, there were so many to see that it was hard to determine which you liked the best.

The pictures on YouTube https://youtu. be/7EVqH40DkYo speak for themselves.

The ‘bar talk’ was about the situation in the Netherlands, where many flower farmers are going bankrupt or just not planting any crops this season. Gas and electricity prices have exploded, and growers realise that if there is no relief, many cannot afford to continue. This is a very fluid situation, and the outcome is very unclear.

WWW.FLOR ACULTUREINTERNATIONAL.COM

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E X P O -S U R E

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS The Ecuador trip also gave some insights into Ecuador’s indigenous protesters that had paralysed the country in June, blocking highways across the country and clashing with police. Protesters claim they have been disproportionately hurt by inflation, rising energy prices and austerity measures. Growers, in turn, point out that the protests caused considerable trouble for businesses. They sustain that many protesters include small flower growers who do not pay royalties for the flowers they sell.

It is a highly complex story, but the good news is that there is a dialogue between the flower breeders (whose varieties are being stolen) and the small growers to find some solution, hopefully, because many of these small growers grow excellent, sought-after flowers.

A BEAUTIFUL PLACE Quito is a big and beautiful place. It is a crowded city nestled high in the Andean mountains, full of history and an excellent place to hold such an event - if you are not in a hurry to get anywhere.

The growers here appear to be quite optimistic about the future based on the number of new greenhouses under construction in the North. It is said that at least 50 further hectares of greenhouses have been built recently.

Organisers, exhibitors, and visitors hail ExpoFlor Ecuador 2022 as a huge success. It will be interesting to see if Proflora 2023 in Bogotá will eclipse this fine show. The industry can’t wait.

Professional Farm tour: Ecuador is known for its premium large-headed roses.

(Above) FSI’s Jeroen van Oudheusden visibly enjoyed the Alice in Wonderland-themed stand of Ecua Garden. (left) Professional Farm tour: packing area for roses.

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FLOR ACULTURE INTERNATIONAL

NOVEMBER 2022

E X P O -S U R E NOV EMBER 2022

9-11. THE NETHERLANDS International Floriculture Trade Fair (IFTF) at Haarlemmermeer Expo in Vijfhuizen. www.hppexhibitions.com/iftf/

9-11. THE NETHERLANDS Trade Fair Aalsmeer. www.tradefairaalsmeer. royalfloraholland.com

21-24. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) WARD (meaning flower in Arabic). Gulf International Flowers and Gardens Exhibition at Abu Dhabi’s ADNEC convention centre.

YouTube: Gulf International Flower and Gardens Exhibition DECEMBER 2022

1. FRANCE Graines d’Or, 37th Awards.

This annual ceremony in Paris celebrates the best in French garden retail. www.trophees-grainesdor.com

6-9. AUSTRALIA Australian Horticultural Trials Week. www.horticulturaltrials.com J A NUA RY 2023

24-27. GERMANY IPM, the world’s premier horticultural trade show at Messe Essen. www.ipm-essen.de

Qatar’s entry at Expo 2022 Floriade made it into The Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest freestanding 3D-printed concrete tower in the world.

Q ATA R

Preparations for World Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha Qatar Once FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ends on 18 December, final preparations for the World Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha Qatar begins.

The Expo will open on 2 October 2023 for six months until 28 March 2024, in the Al Bidda Park. The Expo park covers 170 hectares and expects to attract more than three million visitors.

Expo 2023 Doha Qatar will look at climate change, water, soil and endangered resources with a theme focusing on ‘Greening the Desert’ and improving the environment.

The Expo is part of the Qatar National Vision 2030, and this objective is to host the first World Horticultural Expo in a desert climate.

More than 80 international participants from governments and businesses are invited to share their country’s horticultural knowledge and experience in pavilions in the Expo park.

Expo 2023 Doha Qatar is also promoting how

other cities address greening city principles through a webinar series in partnership with AIPH called the Green City Briefings from now until the Expo’s opening. (See page 29).

Visitors of Qatar’s Desert Nest pavilion at the recently closed Expo 2022 Floriade learnt a little about the country’s forward-thinking vision for sustainable ways of living in harmony with the environment.

As an unofficial symbol of passing the World Horticultural Expo baton from the Netherlands, its formidable 12.1 metre high, Guinness World Record 3D printed concrete pigeon tower will now become a permanent legacy fixture at Expo 2023 Doha Qatar.

Visit www.dohaexpo2023.gov.qa.

20-29. GERMANY Grüne Woche, international green week Berlin. The world’s largest consumer and trade fair for food, agriculture and horticulture. www.gruenewoche.de F EBRUA RY 2023

23-29. NETHERLANDS

8-10. ETHIOPIA

A PRIL 2023

TuinIdee, garden show at the Brabanthallen in Hertogenbosch. www.tuinidee.nl

Hortiflora Expo at the Millenium Hall in Addis Ababa. www.hppexhibitions.com/hfe

01.04-22.10. SOUTH KOREA

25.02-05.03. FRANCE

The Flower and Plant Show at Tüyap Fair and Exhibition Centre in Istanbul. www.en.flowershow.com.tr

The Salon International d’Agriculture (SIA) will be hosted at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.

In 2019, this event attracted 633,000 visitors. www.salon-agriculture.com

22-24. ITALY

M A RCH 2023

MyPlant&Garden at Fiera Milano. www.myplantgarden.com

7. BELGIUM

16-18. TÜRKIYE

Florall, Belgium’s leading horticultural trade show at Waregem Expo. www.florall.be

23.03-14.05.

NETHERLANDS Keukenhof, one of the world’s most beautiful spring gardens. www.keukenhof.nl

Suncheonman International Horticultural Garden Expo 2023 in South Korea. www.scbay.suncheon.go.kr

23.04-31.10. TÜRKIYE

29.03-02.04. AUSTRALIA Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens. www.melbflowershow.com.au

International Horticultural Expo 2023 Onikişubat Kahramanmaraş. www.expo2023.org M AY 2 0 2 3

24-28. UNITED KINGDOM RHS Chelsea Flower Show. www.rhs.org.uk

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From October 2nd 2023 to March 28th 2024

FLORMART 2022

E X P O -S U R E

Cutting ribbon ceremony of Flormart 2022.

Italy’s second-largest trade show and conference for the horticultural sector took place at Padua’s PadovaFiere convention centre from 21 to 23 September, staged by its new owner Fiere di Parma. The organiser’s count suggests that 4,000 people, including

The show was good in that there were many new prospects from abroad.

AUTHOR: RON VAN DER PLOEG

150 qualified buyers, attended the three-day fixture.

G

iven Flormart’s turbulent past, marked by much organisational restructuring, change of ownership, the quick rise of a new trade show competitor in Milan, and, more recently, two years of disruption, cancellation, postponing and rescheduling due to Covid-19, it is unsurprising that among exhibitors and visitors of the 71st edition of Flormart had some reservations about this year’s show.

No one expected a spectacular rise in attendance since Flormart’s last pre-pandemic edition in September 2019 (300 exhibitors and 6,000 trade visitors), and there wasn’t. But those who had predicted a rather anaemic event were proved wrong.

Because despite the reduced 16,000 m2 gross floor space, exhibitors told FCI that they were pleased with the quality of the show traffic or as Edoardo Sciutti from the show’s most prominently present exhibitor ANVE puts it, “It was piccolina, small in size, but that is not automatically a bad thing. Participating growers told me the show was

good because there were many new prospects from abroad.”

He references the excellent work the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) delivered by bringing in 150 pre-screened international buyers from the MENASA region (Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia) and the Balkans. Sciutti notes, “Contrary to what happened in the past when sellers were overly present, on this trade mission were predominantly buyers, including many new faces. The 30 plus ANVE members present – occupying a combined space of 1,500m2 - had some great leads, and the product interest was strong.”

The ITA-led trade delegation followed a horticultural trade mission from Italy earlier this year. This mission occurred in Dubai to coincide with Expo Dubai. On this trade mission, 30 Italian nursery stock growers met with potential buyers from the MENASA region at the M-Eating Italy pavilion at the Expo.

Sciutti adds that the market for Italian-grown trees, shrubs and plants continues to expand as global demand for trees soars, particularly

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E X P O -S U R E

used to plant forests. “So buoyant the market is that growers would nearly forget about energy crisis and war,” says Sciutti, complimenting Flormart’s new owner Fiere di Parma on much stricter management.

“It may sound banal, but the organiser embarked on a much straightforward path, sticking to registration deadlines, original booth rates, and not lowering prices in the last minutes. Instead of giving space away, this strict regime helps to create anticipation with some growers even being disappointed for not being present.”

Flormart ranks among one of Europe’s oldest horticultural trade exhibitions and has been the launch platform for many nurseries’ stock products for many decades.

True to tradition, the 2022 edition of Flormart also offered plenty of learning opportunities such as conventions, meetings, and educational programmes. Now that the green city movement worldwide is gaining increasing traction, the Flormart forum discussions highlighted how green infrastructure could contribute to a city’s liveability through its economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Flormart’s message was crystal clear: Italian-grown flowers and plants play a crucial role in helping realise successful urban green spaces.

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During Flormart’s educational programme, Italy’s investment and reform plan for recovery (in Italian known as PNRR or Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza) from the Covid-19 emergency was on everyone’s lips.

The plan earmarks €6.68 billion for culture and tourism through investments in heritage regeneration, enhancements in assets and skills, digitalisation, and accessibility, targeting environmental and social sustainability.

The paragraph on parks and gardens in the PNRR is crucial for ornamental horticulture in Italy as it highlights the restoration of historic parks and gardens adopting a ‘systematic approach to urban regeneration.

Its goal is to improve the quality of life and social inclusion among the younger generations and within urban communities.

Protecting the environment and biodiversity and people’s right to “urban green spaces are all essential criteria for the €300 million funding programme.

In the future, the role of Flormart as a connector between companies and the government will intensify.

Next year, the show will take place between 20 – 22 September 2023.

For more information, visit www.flormart.it

Apart from being a great network opportunity, Flormart is also a quintessential order-writing trade show.

Compagnia del Lago, a specialist grower of container-grown Camellia, Azalea and Rhododendron in all sizes, and a variety of other acid-loving plants such as Pieris japonica, Kalmia, Daphne and Edgeworthia. From its 30-ha site in Verbania Fondotoce, benefiting from Lake Maggiore’s benign microclimate, Compagnia del Lago serves its customers in northern and central Italy.

E X P O -S U R E

FLOMART AWARDS Flormart celebrated its annual awards ceremony on the opening morning of 21 September.

Italy’s then agriculture minister, Mr Stefano Patuanelli (who on 22 October was succeeded

by Gino Lollobridgida; a grand nephew of actress Gina Lollobrigida), presented awards in three categories: Flower and Plants, Tech, and Sustainable Landscape Design.

Crowned winner in the first category was Pistoiabased Romiti Vivai for its innovative range of Lagerstroemeria indica. Davide Romiti came on stage to accept the award.

Iulia Klimina from Bolzano-based R3GIS accepted the award from Italy’s former agriculture minister Stefano Patuanelli.

The jury praised the cultivar ‘Violet Lord’, featuring bright pink blooms that beautifully contrast against the shrub’s dark foliage. ‘White Queen’ is arguably the purest white Lagerstroemeria indica currently available on the market. The company also extensively trialled ‘Purple Star’, which begins flowering in May with repeat flowering four months later.

In the Tech category, Saviolife/Saviola Group from the city of Mantova scooped up the Flormart Award for a wood fibre-based substrate certified by FSC and PEFC, which can be used in organic cropping.

Finally, Bolzano-based R3GIS walked away with the third Flormart Award, earning recognition for its Green City portal, which allows city residents to identify and explore plants and trees they have seen in parks and green spaces.

Davide Romiti from Pistoia-based Romiti Vivai scooped up the Flormart Award for the company’s innovative range of Lagerstroemeria indica.

In the Tech category, Saviolife/Saviola Group from Mantova took home the Flormart Award for a wood fibre-based substrate.

The Green City portal is an extension of already existing Green Spaces software used by cities for the maintenance of urban green areas. The Green City tool is currently used by four cities: Bolzano, Lugano, Rimini, and the Polish town of Krakow .

Busy aisles, especially in the morning.

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GREEN, GREAT, GORGEOUS! 24 – 27 JANUARY

Plants Technology Floristry Garden features

WELCOME TO IPM ESSEN! ◆ GREEN trends and sales-boosting POS concepts ◆ GREAT product choice and international

partner network ◆ GORGEOUS new plant varieties and technology innovations All this at IPM ESSEN – the globally leading horticulture exhibition.

WWW.IPM-ESSEN.DE