Ethiopia: Wedding season at Qualirosa

Last week the Florismart paid a visit to Qualirosa, one of their growers on the Pre-order. Qualirosa doesn’t focus on the most romantic day of the year, but on the most romantic season of the year: wedding season. Sales manager Arjo van der Sluis told Florismart all about their farm in Ethiopia, the assortment (and a new variety).

Roses with a positive social impact
Three years ago, Edwin de Gruijl, started with the renovation of a greenhouse in Ethiopia. This was the beginning of Qualirosa, a greenhouse of 8 hectares which expanded very quickly to 24 hectares. The 650 employees make it possible to grow 50 different varieties at the farm. Arjo explained that there is almost no automation at the farm. For this reason, they need that many employees. The people who work in the greenhouse are very important for Qualirosa’s rose production.

Arjo: “Our employees have a lot of know-how, they can’t be easily replaced by other people. It’s also very important to us that they enjoy working at Qualirosa and we do everything to make that happen. We give our employees the chance to develop within the company and take care of them in case they are ill or pregnant. We grow flowers with a positive social impact.”

Time for some romance
For many rose growers, Valentine’s day is one of the most important days of the year, but Qualirosa is already one step ahead and focuses on the wedding season. They produce lots of roses in pastel colours and these are perfect for weddings. The season starts already in March but the demand increases quickly in April and May. Spring and summer are the peak periods for Qualirosa.

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