Three red roses in a crop in Quito. EFE

• The Ecuadorian flower reaches 108 countries

The quality of the Ecuadorian flower, cultivated in the Andes and a perpendicular Sun is appreciated in international markets

QUITO, ECUADOR (FEB/09/2012)-Although the crisis has hit the economy of major consumer markets of flowers, roses that offers Ecuador even seduce the world at the time of love and friendship, Valentine’s day, which this year will have more red petals than usual.

So said Ignacio Pérez, Executive Chairman of the Association of producers and exporters of flowers of Ecuador (Viviendas), to ensure that “the Red Rose is the rose of Valentine”.

This – he said – explains that the markets have “required more red than usual” this season, although the diversity that offers Ecuador can satisfy any type of requirement.

Quality of the Ecuadorian flower, cultivated in the Andes and a perpendicular Sun, is appreciated in international markets, said Perez, although not it was satisfied of the results obtained in this season of Valentine.

“The volumes that we got so far tell us that there will be a small increase over the previous year, of three to four percent, in the best of cases”, but “as for prices, what we know is that they are lower than the last year’s values”.

Why “being optimistic, we would say that the feast of St. Valentine’s day of this year will be very similar to what it was the previous year, which, from our point of view, is a little frustrating because we expected to maintain a growth rate similar to what we had last year, from a ten to eleven percent”, he added.

In 2011 (but with even preliminary data for December) sale of Ecuadorian flowers generated income of $ 670 million, in a volume of 108 thousand metric tons, according to the statistics of Viviendas.

Despite the unsatisfactory results, Perez said that one of the most important is that, apparently, “is brewing that could be called a Russian Valentine”, that it not noticed before.

Russia is the market with more projection for Ecuadorian flowers, with annual growth rates between thirteen and fourteen percent.

US, he said, it consumed 41 percent of the floricultural offer of Ecuador, followed by Russia (and the countries of the former USSR) with 23 percent and Europe with 21%, while the rest goes to smaller markets.

The Ecuadorian flower reaches 108 countries, clarified Pérez, and remarked that Chile and Colombia are the best buyers in Latin America.

While the Government has tried to diversify markets in Latin America, Asia and Middle East, the President of Viviendas considered that “there really is no capacity” to do so, due, among other factors, to the long distance and the high cost of transportation to some of these regions.

“We fall very well that the Government will be able to comply” with its objectives to realize direct flights to Asia, especially Korea and Japan, which are markets attractive, he noted.

Colombia, for example, is a direct competitor in the export of flowers for Ecuador, can place their product in “less of 24 hours” in Japan, while that Ecuadorians take “between three and four days by the lack of direct flights”, he explained.

Direct flights have not materialized to Russia and to the countries of the former Soviet Union, he added, after insisting on that market “every year becomes more important”.

The Russian Valentine should also incorporate the demand for one of its most important holidays: March 8, international women’s day.

“If joins Valentine and the women’s day (almost unique to the Russian market), represents more than 25% of annual export of flowers,” said Perez.

Europe, by contrast, declined his demand, in part because of the crisis, although Pérez noticed something curious.

“The country that has more lowered the purchase of Ecuadorian flower is Germany, despite the fact that it is considered one of the stronger countries,” while, curiously, “have grown up purchases from Spain and Italy”, Nations where the crisis is most acute.

The response, according to the Executive of Viviendas, fits in a question: “the crisis is private or Government level?”.